The Rescue
by Vinividivinci
Summary: It's up to Carter to save Colonel O'Neill when he is captured by villainous aliens. Adventure, some whump, and woman-power!
1. Chapter 1

_**Okay – another new story! I decided that I've had Sam be much too pathetic and girlie for the last little while, so have decided to make her the heroine in this one. For those who like a strong, take no prisoners Carter – this story is for you. It will contain my usual whump (sorry!) probably for both Sam and Jack. As for romance – well, it's pretty much 'team-fic' to possibly UST (although you all know me by now – RST always seems to force its way into my stories). Still – it's mostly adventure for now and we'll see where it leads me.**_

_**I will be continuing my other series as well on S/J. Reviews desperately desired and appreciated!**_

"Carter!"

"I'm trying Sir. I don't know what's wrong."

"Well try harder! They're coming."

This time she didn't answer as there was really nothing more to say. She knew the Colonel was worried – they really didn't have much time. Unfortunately, unlike the last time they'd been stuck with a non-working Stargate, this time they had vicious locals trying to capture or kill them. They really were running out of options.

They'd been on the planet for a couple of days, doing their usual 'check out and see if there are any weapons we can use in defense of the Goa'uld' visit. They hadn't seen a thing, although the Colonel had said he didn't like this place. "Too peaceful, too easy", he said. "Makes me suspicious." He and Teal'c had done continuous checks while Sam and Daniel did their scientific exploration.

There were some old ruins, but after a preliminary look, Daniel had said they were insignificant. "There was a civilization here at one point", he said, "but there's really not much left and nothing which indicates what kind of people they were or even why they're not here anymore. The remains are pretty minimal, and it would take a much more extensive expedition to determine if there's anything of substance here."

"Is one warranted?" asked Jack. He trusted that Daniel would tell him if they needed to send another team back or not.

"No, I don't think so. Not unless we find something more substantive. It looks like whatever civilization was here is gone now."

"Right. Carter, how about you? How are your tests going?"

"Like Daniel I haven't found much Sir. It doesn't appear as if there are any important mineral findings here, at least not in the areas I've checked. I did get one strange reading – just briefly – but I think it may have been an equipment malfunction. It wasn't repeated and since then I've seen nothing unusual."

"You're sure? It's not some Goa'uld thingy or something."

She bit her lip so as not to smile. Only the Colonel would refer to alien technology as a 'thingy'. She knew he was an intelligent man and he also had a reasonable understanding of technology – he couldn't do what he did without it – but he liked to play the fool. She never quite knew if it was for his own amusement, or if he wanted Daniel and her the feeling that they knew more than him, and so were vital to the team. Whatever it was, most of the time she enjoyed his self-effacing humor. Sometimes of course, usually when they were standing at the wrong end of a staff weapon, it drove her crazy.

"I don't think so Sir. I've seen no evidence of _any_ technology here. As far as I can tell, this planet is uninhabited."

"Now that's something that confuses me Major", his forehead crinkled as if deep in thought. "How in the world do you know if the _whole_ planet is uninhabited? I mean, we've only seen a tiny portion of it. What if there's somebody on the _other _side? I mean, what if we were aliens and we landed on earth in say – Siberia – and we looked around and said, 'this planet is obviously uninhabited.' I mean, couldn't there be people, oh, I don't know, on another continent or something?"

Daniel and Sam both stopped and looked at the Colonel. Daniel simply frowned, but Sam had a twinkle in her eye. See, she knew the Colonel was smart.

"Well Sir, you have a good point, actually."

"I do?" he said in surprise, his eyebrows lifting in shock. "Hey Teal'c", he turned to his Jaffa friend. "Carter said I have a good point." He smiled, looking very proud of himself. "See Daniel, I do have good ideas now and then."

"Yes Jack, you sometimes do have good ideas", the archaeologist said, sounding as if he were simply humoring the Colonel.

"So Carter, does that mean there _could_ be people on this planet."

"Yes Sir."

"What? That's it? You're telling me _now_ that maybe this place isn't uninhabited? But you just said -"

"Well Sir, on most planets we've visited, the local population seems to reside within a few miles of the Gate. Because so many planets seemed to have been populated by people being brought through the Gate, it's only logical that at least some of the population would remain there."

The Colonel sighed. "So you're saying that the planet probably is uninhabited?"

"Yes Sir – probably."

"So, you need to check anything else before we go?"

"Uh, I just wanted to go up to that ridge", she pointed to a rocky hill a couple of kilometers in the distance, "and check for mineral readings. If there's anything of importance it can sometimes be in more mountainous regions."

"How long do you need Major?"

"It shouldn't take more than a couple of hours Sir. Just enough time to take a few samples."

"Okay then. Teal'c, why don't you and Daniel break camp and head back to the SGC? I'll accompany Carter so she can do get her 'samples'. No point in all of us hanging around. Tell Hammond that we'll be back", he looked at his watch, "by 1800 hours."

While Daniel and Teal'c began to collect their things, O'Neill and Carter headed towards the hills. It was a pleasant walk; the ancient trail was well worn and the sun was shining brightly through the cool canopy of the trees.

O'Neill kept his eyes open, although he was reassured by Carter's view that the place was uninhabited. Still, you could never be too careful and they'd run into their share of trouble on seemingly innocent looking planets.

"It's a beautiful day Sir", Carter smiled as she looked around. "It's nice to be somewhere peaceful for a change", she commented. They'd had a number of difficult missions lately.

"That it is Major, that it is."

They chatted about inconsequential things as they continued towards the hills. Within a short time they'd reached the base of the mountain – although Jack said sarcastically, "Kind of a puny mountain Carter – more of a hill I'd say."

"Yes Colonel", she grinned.

"After you Major", he held his arm out to indicate she should precede him. "Let's go mountain climbing."

Actually, he'd been right that it was really a hill, although a craggy one. There wasn't a trail, per se, but it was relatively easy to climb. Once, she slid back on a patch of shale, but the Colonel managed to grab her and hold on until she was steady.

"Thank you Sir."

"No problem Major – wouldn't want you to fall and ur – break something."

They finally reached the ridge she'd spotted from their camp and she began collecting samples. He continued to keep his eyes open for any dangers but for the first little while everything seemed normal.

It was just as Sam was gathering her last bit of 'dirt', that things changed. Jack would later swear that the sky darkened, although that was probably just his imagination. What he did know was that he suddenly had the feeling that they were being watched. He looked around carefully but couldn't see anything. Still, he trusted his instincts.

"There's someone here Carter", he said softly. "Stand up carefully and we're going to head back down to the trail."

"Where are they Sir?" she asked, equally as quietly. She slowly stood and picked up her pack and her weapon, which she held at the ready.

"I don't know. I just know we're being watched." They began to walk back down the side of the 'mountain', the way they'd come. They moved slowly and casually, as if unaware of anything out of the ordinary.

Sam could feel it too. She, like the Colonel, had a sixth sense that was on full alert. Someone was definitely watching them.

At that moment they both heard a noise coming from their right. They quickly looked and could see what looked like a band of men moving towards them. They were still at least six or eight hundred meters away, but it was obvious, from the way they were moving and the weapons they were carrying, that they weren't friendly.

"Let's move it Major. I don't think we want to meet these guys!" Without any more discussion, they both began to run towards the Gate. Fortunately, the men were coming from the opposite direction."

"Drop all your equipment except your weapons", the Colonel called.

She nodded and did as he said, not pausing as she let the equipment drop along with the samples. They continued to run towards the Gate and she couldn't help but be thankful that the trail was clear.

They reached the DHD in good time. She was pretty sure they would have time to make it before the men following them arrived.

That was before she discovered that the DHD wasn't working. Of course not, she thought. It was almost a cliché – rather like the car that would never start when the heroine was trying to get away from the bad guys.

"Carter!" he said again, "they'll be here any minute."

"I know Sir. I don't know what's wrong. It's as if something is jamming it."

"You think it's the guys who are after us?"

"I don't know, maybe." She pulled out the panel underneath, but as far as she could tell, everything looked fine."

"Carter, go. I'll try to hold them –you get out of here."

"No Sir, you'll be captured. I'll stay with-"

"Carter do as I say!" he practically yelled. They could hear the sounds of the men approaching. They both ran to try and take cover behind a few sparse trees. "Get out of here. You can come back and try the DHD again and bring help. No sense in both of us being captured."

She nodded, knowing it made sense, but hating to leave the Colonel. "Be careful Sir", she said as she turned and headed out towards the ruins. There were more trees and dense brush in the area around the settlement and if she had a hope of not being seen, it was in that area. As she ran she heard shots being fired and prayed that the Colonel would be okay.

Jack squatted down behind a tree and watched as the men ran into the clearing in front of the Gate. He noticed they barely gave it a glance, so they obviously were familiar with it.

There were eight men and they were all big – bigger than Teal'c – and rough looking. One of them, he suspected it was the leader, carried a tattoo across his face, which started on his forehead and then swept around his eye, down his cheek and onto his neck. Jack wasn't sure from this distance, but it almost looked like a snake.

All of them carried some kind of unusual weapon. He couldn't tell from the look of them whether they were primitive ballistic weapons or something more sophisticated. They were black and short – no longer than a pistol – but had a longer and wider barrel. He couldn't see any kind of trigger although it had a short handle which the men were holding clutched in their hand.

They were dressed in what looked like roughly made homespun clothing, with simple armor over the chest and abdomen as well as some kind of plates that covered their thighs and separate ones over their lower legs. Their hair was long and greasy, and they all sported beards. All in all, not an attractive or friendly looking crowd.

It wasn't long before he was spotted – which didn't surprise him, considering the relative lack of cover. He waited, however, to see what the men would do. He wanted to avoid a fire-fight, if at all possible, knowing he'd most likely be the loser.

When one of the men lifted his weapon and the tree beside him practically exploded, he knew his wish was not to be granted. He dove away from the tree, just as another shot was fired, and began to shoot back.

He hit one of the men, who immediately screamed and fell to the ground. That stopped everything for a second, as his companions froze, looking at their fallen comrade. Unfortunately, the reprieve only lasted a few brief seconds and then they began to fire at him again. But this time they did not use the same weapons. Instead, the leader said something and two of them pulled out what looked like some kind of unusual cross bow. The bolt was silver and about 12 inches long. What was amazing was how quickly they could shoot and reload the weapon.

Jack continued to fire, hoping that Sam was making it to safety. He pretty much figured he was toast but at least he could die – not happy, never that – but with the knowledge that his team, and especially Carter, was safe.

On that thought he suddenly felt a sharp pain hit him in the chest, followed by another in the thigh. His last thought was that he should have known better. It was always the seemingly peaceful planets that got you.

Sam was panting by the time she reached the ruins. She had continued to run as she listened to the sound of weapon fire in the background. She was practically sobbing from running so hard, but also from fear for the Colonel. There was no way he could survive against all those men. She should never have left him.

But you couldn't have helped him if you'd stayed, she reasoned to herself. The Colonel was right. This way you can go back and get help. He'll be okay – he has to be. There was no way he was going to die on this stupid worthless planet. She thought back briefly to their conversation and wanted to hit herself – uninhabited indeed! What an idiot you are Carter. He trusted you and look where we are. He may be de – no, she refused to believe it.

It took her a second before she realized that the weapons had stopped. Instead, there was silence. She looked around but couldn't see anywhere where she could safely hide. There wasn't enough left of the ruins to provide cover.

She continued into the forest beyond the ruins, careful not to leave a trail. She thought briefly of Teal'c and the Colonel, who had spent hours teaching Daniel and her how to travel without leaving a trace. She was thankful because she was pretty sure it might just give her a chance to survive. She kept moving, even though she was ready to drop. There was still no place to hide!

It was only a couple of moments later when she saw it. It wasn't perfect, but it might just do. Off to the side of the trail, through a small copse of trees, and in the side of a small rise, was a tiny cave. It was almost more of a dent in the rock. She gathered up some branches and bushes and managed to cover it, creating a small burrow. Standing back, she looked at it but could no longer tell it was there. She then moved behind the branches and sat back carefully, leaning up against the rock with her weapon in her lap. She could only see out through a tiny hole in the foliage, but she knew she'd hear anyone approaching anyway. She just prayed that they would not see her.

Sitting in the dark, against the side of the small hill, she couldn't help but shiver, both from reaction as well as from fear. She prayed that the Colonel was okay. They probably just captured him, she reasoned, and were going to take him to their village. Once she knew she was safe, she'd try the DHD again and bring back help. There's no way they were going to leave the Colonel behind.

She felt like she'd been hiding for hours, although according to her watch it had only been about ninety minutes, when she heard the sound of people moving through the forest. As the footsteps and voices grew closer, she could feel her heart speed up. She had difficulty keeping her breathing quiet and her hand from shaking. She continued to look out the tiny hole, but since she was only able to see a very tiny area, it was almost worse than if she had seen nothing at all.

The voices grew near, sounding as if they were almost on top of her. She couldn't understand what they were saying and didn't even recognize the language. She wished Daniel were here - hell, she wished _Teal'c_ were here. He'd know what to do.

She heard the rustling grow nearer and almost lifted her gun, stopping herself only at the last minute. There was more rustling and then laughter. They were men's voices and she assumed they were the same ones they'd seen before. She didn't hear the Colonel's voice which either meant he was dead, hurt or that some of them had stayed back with their prisoner. She hoped it was choice number three.

She continued to hold her gun at the ready, sure that she'd soon be discovered. After what seemed like a long time, but could only have been a few minutes, she heard the sounds of footsteps moving away and the voices began to fade. She continued to stand still however, knowing that it was totally possible that someone had stayed back.

She sat in her little hiding place for another couple of hours. Even if all of them had moved on, they could still be searching the forest.

She looked at her watch again and saw that it was after 1900 hours – past time she and the Colonel were to have headed back to the SGC. She knew General Hammond would give them a bit of extra time, but he would soon try and open the Gate and probably send a team through to find out what was wrong.

She waited for another hour before she cautiously ventured out. Listening carefully, she slowly made her way back towards the Gate. She had heard no more sounds, although if there had been a fight, or if Hammond had sent another team, she probably wouldn't have heard anything anyway. She'd travelled quite a distance from the Stargate.

It took her almost two hours, travelling slowly and in the dark, by the time she got close to the Gate. She still saw and heard nothing, so continued to move more closely, although she knew she had to be careful because of the lack of cover around the DHD.

She was lying on the ground, taking note of every shadow, every noise, when she noticed a faint light in the distance. It was in the direction of the mountain, where they'd been discovered by the men.

Indecisive at first, she finally decided to move in the direction of the light, which she assumed must be their campfire. If it was the men who'd followed them, she would be able to see whether or not they had the Colonel. She could see no evidence of any SGC teams so surmised that the Gate must still be out. She didn't want to try it yet, since she wasn't sure what had happened to the Colonel, or whether any of them men were still close by.

By the time she arrived at the men's camp, the fire itself was almost out and things were quiet. She had seen at least one man on watch, and there could be more, so she stayed down near to the ground and moved extremely slowly and cautiously until she could things more clearly.

The men were sprawled out on the ground, covered in some kind of furs or blankets. There was what looked like the remains of a meal spread out on the ground and beside each man a small pile of armor. They all looked sound asleep – drunk maybe – but she was taking no chances and didn't try to move any closer.

She turned her head slowly, trying to see if Colonel O'Neill was anywhere to be seen. Since she kept her eyes focused on the ground she missed him at first pass.

Finally glancing upward, she gasped but then quickly covered her mouth. She immediately froze, hoping, praying to whatever god was watching that she hadn't been heard. When everything appeared calm after a few minutes, she again looked at what had caused her dismay.

Colonel O'Neill was tied to a tree. His arms were pulled back behind him, and were tied around the trunk. Ropes were looped around his chest, hips and thighs and they held him upright against the tree. His head was resting on his chest and he wasn't moving.

By the light of the moon, she could see that his shirt was wet as was one pant leg. Although there were no colors visible in this light she was positive that what she was seeing was blood.

She closed her eyes briefly, wondering if the Colonel was even alive.


	2. Retrieval

The first thing he'd noticed, when he regained consciousness, was that he was staring at someone's backside. It took his mind a few seconds to figure out why that was, and that it wasn't a good thing. He was slung over someone's shoulder and his head was hanging down. He would have complained about the blood rushing to his head, but the pain in his chest and leg was so bad everything else faded in comparison.

He must have groaned, or let out some sound, because he heard talking and he was suddenly dropped to the ground, head first. He found himself with a mouth full of dirt and grass but didn't have the energy to turn over.

One of his captives clearly wanted to see him so grabbed him and roughly flipped him over. He groaned again, and would have passed out, except that someone slapped his face. He forced his eyes back open and blearily looked at the dark and dirty face above him.

He saw the person's lips move and eventually heard sound, but was unable to understand the words being spoken to him. He man slapped his face again to get his attention.

"Won't help", he murmured. "Can't understand you." Fortunately that seemed to be enough to stop the slaps, although his captor kept talking. It took a second for Jack to realize he was speaking with someone else, so Jack allowed his mind to drift.

He vaguely remembered what happened, but the pain, as well as a feeling of being not all quite there, kept him from recalling all the details. He knew there was something that he had to remember – something important – but right now, couldn't bring it to mind.

One of the big guys grabbed his hair and lifted his head and he was given a few sips of water. He drank it as if his life depended on it – which it probably did, he realized, when he was able to think more clearly. Unfortunately, he didn't get enough and the man suddenly let go of his head, which then slammed onto the ground. For the next few seconds he fought unconsciousness, but, when he was again lifted and slung over the back of one of men the pain sent him back into pain-free darkness.

When he next regained his senses he was lying flat on his back and the two men were nowhere to be seen – at least in his limited vision. He tried to force himself to sit up but only made it half way before collapsing back to the ground. He made himself be quiet, although the pain was burning so badly that it made it difficult not to groan in agony. He waited a second until the black spots in front of his eyes slowly drifted away. His vision still wasn't clear, but it was better.

He tried again, this time rolling over to his side before attempting to leverage himself up. He managed to get to his hands and knees, although his leg – the one that he remembered had been shot, quickly gave out and he slammed back down.

"Not – doin' too – good here, O'Neill", he said to himself. The next time he tried he managed to get up on his hands and one leg, the other he kept straight out behind him. He rested for a second and then began to crawl forward. He knew he needed something to help leverage him to a standing position. He vaguely wondered where the men were who had taken him, although mostly he focused on simply moving.

His arms shook and he was terribly weak. He was also pretty sure a fever was starting to burn through him. The pain continued to grow in his chest and leg and he wondered what kind of weapon it had been that had hit him. He was pretty sure it was something more than a simple arrow. As of yet he hadn't even had time to look at his wounds.

He didn't know how long it took for him to reach the edge of the clearing, but eventually he made it to a large tree. He rested for a second but knew he didn't have much time; they had to be coming back soon.

He reached out with his one arm to touch the trunk when his other arm gave way and he slammed forward, face first into the tree.

"Ooph" he cried, as his face impacted the rough bark. Just what he needed, another injury! He managed to push himself up again and tried it again. It was a long and shaky process, but eventually he made it.

He leaned against the wood, standing on one leg, and trying to get his breathing under control. He finally managed to turn himself around, so that he was leaning with his back against the tree.

"Rotalago nutras Tauri!", one of his captors said as soon as he turned around.

Damn! He stared at the two men who had brought him here. They were standing looking at him, big grins on their faces. One of them was leaning on his own P-90. He hoped the guy shot his foot off!

He wondered how long they'd been there, watching him struggle. By the looks of them, they had enjoyed seeing him try to crawl and then stand. It didn't bode well for how this was going to go down.

"Turas nen andalgo. Turas cum notram stengali."

"Nice – to meet you – too!" he gasped out. God, he wished Daniel were here. He had no idea what these guys were saying, although now that he thought about it, he was pretty sure he had heard the word 'Tauri'. Although if that were true, he wondered how in the world they had known who he was.

With another laugh the man holding his gun said, "Jantra" and gestured to the other guy who promptly went and grabbed a sack. After opening it he began pulling out what looked like home-made rope. Jack was pretty sure what this was going to be for, so whether it was home-made or not really didn't matter.

The next thing he knew he was pushed harshly against the tree and his arms were yanked behind him and around the trunk. He couldn't help the 'yelp' that escaped as his wound was pulled. Soon after he could feel the wetness running down his chest, and knew it had opened up again, not a good thing.

His arms were secured behind him and then the rope was wrapped around him until he was securely fastened to the tree, unable to move anything except his head. All the while the big guy was doing it he chatted away to his friend, as if they were simply playing some kind of game. A few times he heard the word "Jantra" and slowly figured out it was the name of the rope wielder. The other guy seemed to answer to Motrum, at least that's what Jack decided.

By the time he was completely tied to the tree he was half unconscious and had allowed his head to sink to his chest. The more obnoxious of the two (although it was a close run thing) – Motrum – came up to him and grabbed his hair and lifted his head. He then jabbered away at him, seeming to ask the same question over and over. Since O'Neill had no idea what was being said he simply stared at the man and gave no response.

"_Ratran_", the man shouted, and slammed his head against the tree. That was the last he knew for a long time.

* * *

><p>Sam continued to watch for a little while, but knew she'd have to move before the sun came up. So far she hadn't seen any movement, other than the small, unconscious movements men make in their sleep. The Colonel hadn't moved at all, which increased her fear that he was either dead or severely injured. She was pretty sure, however, that they wouldn't have secured a dead man to a tree like that – so he had been alive when they'd brought him here.<p>

She knew that the Colonel would count on her to get him out of here, although he probably figured she would get help from the SGC to do so. Her quandary was whether to return to the Stargate and try and fix the DHD, or to stay close to the marauders who had O'Neill. It was pretty obvious that this was a roaming band, and that they wouldn't remain here for long. She worried that she'd lose track of the Colonel if she didn't stay close.

On the other hand, it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for her to rescue him on her own. These men were too well armed, too tough, for one lone soldier to rescue a wounded man and escape.

This is where her training and leadership skills needed to kick in, she knew. She'd worked with the Colonel for a number of years now, so she tried to think what he would do. There was no officer she respected more than him – he was legendary out in the field – and she'd learned an incredible amount. However, although she'd been called upon many times in her years with Sg1, to do the seemingly impossible, she hadn't often been the one solely in charge.

Even when she and O'Neill had been trapped in Antarctica, and he'd been severely wounded, he'd been there, offering her advice and encouragement. She had never felt alone, except at the very end. Now however, it was all down to her.

And you're going to show the Colonel, and everyone back home, that you're up to the challenge my girl, she said to herself. Colonel O'Neill needed her, and she was going to make damn sure she got them both off this hellish planet.

At that moment she looked towards O'Neill and promised him that she was going to rescue him. Almost as if he had heard her silent thoughts, his head lifted and he looked out into the night. No one saw his quiet movement except her.

He seemed to be looking right at her, although Sam knew there was no way he could see her. "I'm here Sir", she whispered softly. "Don't worry, I'll get you out of there."

She was pretty sure she saw him nod slightly, although she may have imagined it, and then his head dropped again to his chest. She took a deep breath and bit her lip, overwhelmed to know he was alive and sure he knew she was there. That had answered her question. There was no way she was going to leave him and return to the Gate. She had to find out where they were taking him – and even whether she could rescue him. Hopefully the Gate would be working soon and the General would send a rescue team.

Easing back, she crawled soundlessly through the night until she was far enough away to feel safe. She was still able to see the camp, although she was now too far away to clearly see any faces.

* * *

><p>Jack knew something was terribly wrong with him, but didn't know if it was simply loss of blood and fever from his wounds or something else. He suspected that something had been on the bolts that had hit him. He was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate and found that he would forget things from one minute to the next. The pain was – different from what he'd felt in the past when he'd been shot. He remembered briefly back to the episode when he'd gotten the arrow in his arm. It had hurt like the devil, but it was nothing compared to what he felt now.<p>

His entire chest and leg felt as if they were on fire. It could have been a simple infection, but he didn't think so. No – he was pretty sure it was some kind of toxin which had entered his blood. He knew he needed to get to Doc Frasier or else he was going to be one dead Colonel.

He moved in and out of consciousness, although he began to wish he would simply stay out. It was just too painful to be awake. At one point however, he felt as if he was being watched. He lifted his head even though it took more energy than he knew he had.

He stared out into the woods surrounding the clearing, and again was sure that he was being watched. When a feeling of comfort washed over him, he realized it was Sam – Carter. She was alive, thank god, and she was there, watching him. For the first time since he'd been captured he felt a measure of hope. With a small nod, to acknowledge her presence, he allowed himself to fall back into a state somewhere between being awake and being unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>She watched as the camp woke up and the men – she counted seven of them – began packing things up. She grimaced when she saw that they had their packs. Hers had scientific equipment in it that wouldn't mean much to the men, but it also had food and a first aid kit. She wished she had it and knew, if they were to make it away from these guys, she'd have to retrieve it with the Colonel.<p>

They must be ready to move on and she wondered briefly what they had been doing in the first place. Were they warriors, out on patrol or looking for enemies, or were they simply hunters or explorers? Somehow she doubted the 'explorer' bit. They were a little too vicious for that.

They didn't have a large number of supplies with them, so she figured they must be heading towards some kind of village or settlement. She was pretty sure they were not a permanently roving band, but rather one on a temporary or short expedition. She just wished she knew for what reason.

None of the men had paid any attention to the Colonel since they'd woken up until finally one of them walked over to him. He had lifted the Colonel's head and held something up to him. She suspected he was being given a drink and that meant he was still alive.

Once the group was finished packing up, the same one who had given the Colonel a drink walked over and began to cut the ropes off of him. She watched as O'Neill collapsed on the ground and lay still.

One of the biggest of the men, and they were all huge, reached down and grabbed the unconscious man and slung him over his shoulder. They then began to walk away towards the distant hills.

Sam followed them all day, keeping well back from the small band, but keeping them in sight. By the time they camped for the night she was both tired and hungry. She hadn't slept at all the night before and hadn't eaten anything but an energy bar she'd found in her pocket. Fortunately she had kept her canteen and had been able to fill it up a couple of times during the day at a couple of streams she'd passed. She just prayed that she wouldn't end up with some intestinal bug from drinking the water.

She still had no direct plan for rescuing the Colonel and was just waiting for anything that might give her an opportunity, although she wasn't holding her breath.

She knew he was still alive because the men had stopped a few times during the day and each time they'd given him something to drink. They hadn't fed him and she didn't know if that was intentional or simply because he was too ill to eat. It had looked as if they'd tried to communicate with him a few times and had even seen him gesture, weakly. She wondered if he had been able to communicate with them.

She continued to watch, but knew she would have to sleep at one point, or she could not continue to follow them.

* * *

><p>Jack spent the day in a daze of pain and delirium. At times he was conscious and would remember where he was, at others he was thoroughly confused. He thought he'd been shouting something at one time, until the man who was carrying him had swatted him on the head. That had put a stop to anything for a long time.<p>

During the first of their rest stops the men had tried to communicate with them. It turned out that one of them, he assumed it was the leader of their merry band, spoke a smattering of English. He was too sick and feverish to consider why that was.

"You Tauri?" the man – Boian – asked.

Jack looked at him blearily, unable to understand or to answer. The next thing he knew, one of the other men had thrown a container of water in his face. It was cold and startled him, but also helped to clear his mind slightly.

"You Tauri", Boian asked again, when Jack appeared more lucid.

"Me?" Jack answered weakly. "Who's asking?"

The men talked amongst themselves for a few minutes and then Boian faced him again. "Where man with you?"

Jack frowned, confused. Man? Did he mean Daniel or Teal'c? He didn't think these guys had seen either of them before they'd returned to earth.

"Who?" he asked.

Motrum, his least favorite and seemingly the most vicious of the lot, grabbed his head by the hair and pulled it back. He then put a knife to Jack's throat and growled something at him.

"Tell us – where man?' the leader asked again.

"Don't – know who – you mean", the Colonel gasped out, feeling himself start to fade again. His head was suddenly released and he began to fall over when he was grabbed and pulled upright.

"Man with you – we chase – where he go?"

Suddenly Jack realized who they were talking about. They thought Carter was a man. She was tall and had been dressed like him so the men, at the distance they'd been, hadn't seen that she was a woman. Although he knew that Carter was as competent and as good a soldier as any man he'd ever served with, he couldn't help but be relieved. Somehow, looking at these men, he was pretty sure she would have been in real danger. They didn't look like the kind that would have shown a lot of respect to a woman.

"Gone", he said simply. "Through the Gate." He really hoped they believed that she'd made it through before they came. That way they wouldn't look for her.

They spoke again in their language, obviously confused by his words.

"What is 'gate'?" Boian asked belligerently.

"Uh – you know the _Gate_ – uh", he thought for a moment, although his brain was so sluggish it was hard for him to concentrate. "You may call it the Chappa'ai?"

"Chappa'ai?" suddenly all of them were chattering like crazy. They clearly understood the word.

"No – Chappa'ai no work!" He reached into his pack and pulled out some kind of black box. It looked rather incongruent in the hands of the rough looking man. It was small and almost elegant looking, and definitely of advanced design. Boian held up the box and shook it in Jack's face. "No work. No Chappa'ai!"

Okay, so Carter had been right, he thought. Somehow the Gate was being jammed or had been affected by the thing the guy was holding. They'd have to get a hold of it before heading back to the Gate, otherwise they wouldn't be able to make it through. He also suspected that the General wasn't going to be able to send anyone to rescue them, not while the Gate was down.

"Uh, yeah, Chappa'ai. He went through the Chappa'ai and went home. Gone. Not here. Kaput. Vamoosed. Sayonara baby. Gone bye bye." He stopped talking, simply because he was out of breath and the world had started to turn again. He knew he was on the verge of passing out. He just hoped Carter was getting all this.

More talking, which sounded angry this time, with the big guy yelling at Motrum and one of the others. From their gestures it seemed like some of them wanted to return to the Gate, probably to check to see if it was working. Boian was insisting they move on. He really hoped they believed him that Carter was gone.

He was again tied up, but fortunately they let him lie down this time. He didn't think he could survive another night tied to the tree like before. His fever was getting worse and he ached everywhere. He wanted nothing so much right now, as to be in Janet's infirmary, with a nice lovely IV in his arm, pumping pain killers into him and his team sitting beside him, watching over him.

* * *

><p>Sam watched as the men again settled for the night, with one of them standing guard. After watching for a while, and seeing nothing of interest, she settled into a small copse of bushes she'd found and allowed herself to sleep.<p>

She woke up much later in the morning than she'd planned, and was worried that the gang would have left. When she looked, however, she could see that they were still there and hadn't packed up yet. She was curious as to why, when it dawned on her that they weren't planning to leave. Instead, a number of them were getting ready to move out with only their weapons. Only two were left guarding the Colonel, who looked like he was either asleep or unconscious.

She hadn't seen any evidence of any people at all, other than the ones who had captured the Colonel, so began to wonder if these men were some kind of hunting party. She watched as they gathered all their weapons and then left.

She could see the men move into the hills, away from the camp. They'd been following an old trail which paralleled the small mountain range for which she was grateful. It would have been much more difficult to follow them if they'd disappeared into the hills.

She waited for almost an hour before deciding to move in closer. The two guards looked like they were simply relaxing and didn't appear to be paying much attention to anything. That added weight to her theory that the men weren't on the lookout for any human – or humanoid – enemy. They certainly didn't seem worried about being attacked.

She was able to move in quite close to the camp and could even hear the men talking. It seemed like they were playing some kind of game which resembled a form of backgammon. Daniel would have made some comment about now about the similarity of games as played by different cultures. As far as she was concerned, the only thing of interest was the fact that the men were distracted. Maybe now was her opportunity.

She pulled out her weapon, but knew if she used it it would immediately alert the others. The sound of shots would carry a long way in the clear morning air. No, the best thing would be a zat. She put her pistol away and thanked her lucky stars that she'd brought, and kept, the alien weapon. It wouldn't be heard and was quick.

She carefully checked to make sure no one else was about, although she was positive that five of the men, including the leader, had left. The two were sitting, eating and drinking as they played. She quietly, carefully moved in behind them and quickly shot each of them twice. She hated the thought of having to kill them, but didn't see a choice. With a third shot she disintegrated their bodies. She knew she'd suffer for this later, but the Colonel's life was more important – and they were the ones who had started this.

With another quick check around, she made her way to where the Colonel was lying, his hands and legs still tied.

"Colonel", she whispered. He looked terrible – his face looked sunken and was white, with bright blotches of red. She felt his forehead and wasn't surprised to feel him burning up. She took out her knife and cut the bonds but he still didn't wake up. Looking around, she spied their packs and quickly collected them. She knew she couldn't manage both, so she grabbed what she thought they'd need and put it all into one pack, leaving the non-essentials behind. With a small grimace she then took her zat and got rid of the remaining pack. No point in allowing the natives to keep her testing equipment.

Once everything was together, which only took a few minutes, she grabbed a jug of water and wet a piece of cloth. Gently wiping the Colonel's face she attempted to wake him up.

"Sir", she whispered. "Come on, you have to wake up. Colonel! Sir, come on." When nothing worked she finally resorted to "Jack, wake up. We've got to go!"

That seemed to do it and she watched as his eyes slowly opened. Unfortunately they only opened half way and he appeared totally out of it. She wasn't even sure he knew who she was. She again wiped his face and said his name. "Come on Jack, you have to wake up. We've got to get out of here."

"Carter", he said, his voice so faint she could barely hear him. "Knew you'd come. Careful – these guys – woman."

She couldn't figure out what he was saying, but was grateful he at least recognized her. At the same time, she was frightened. He was in bad shape. "Come on Sir, can you sit up?"

"Huh?"

"Can you sit up Sir? Come on, I'll help you."

As she spoke he seemed to gather himself a bit and began to look somewhat more lucid. He tried to help her as she worked to sit him up. He swayed, but eventually was able to sit without help. "Where are the – guys?", he asked, looking around carefully.

"Most of them left. I think they may have gone hunting, although what for I don't know. There were only two of them left and I took care of them. Come on Sir, we've got to get moving. Can you walk?"

"Course I can walk Carter", he said, sounding irritated. "Learned when I was one."

"Well then come on Sir, show me how to do it."

He glared at her and attempted to stand. He would have immediately fallen over if it wasn't for her help but, after a struggle, a few groans and some very colorful language (on her part) she managed to get him upright. She had to keep her arm around him to keep him from falling and she wondered how in the world they were going to make it. Still, they had to try.

"Okay Sir, we're going to head out. Let's see if we can find somewhere safe where I can look at those wounds." She knew she really should tend to them now, but they didn't seem to be bleeding anymore, and she really wanted to get them away from the camp in case the men came back sooner than she hoped.

"No", he stopped. "Gotta get – box", he said. She looked at him with a frown. Box? What box was he talking about? Just then it came to her. She remembered one of the men pulling something out of his pack and showing Jack.

"What is it Sir?" she asked.

"Controls – the Gate", he answered.

"Okay, you wait here and I'll look." She found it in the third pack she investigated. She showed the Colonel and, when he nodded, stuffed it in her pack. "Okay, let's get going."

He nodded, looking even paler than he had, but he gamely tried to put one foot in front of the other. She knew, from his pained expression and the hitch in his breathing, that it was painful. He could barely put weight down on his leg, but he refused to give up and kept moving.

After a few steps he seemed to get into some kind of rhythm and kept moving forward. She took the Colonel's arm and placed it about her shoulder. She put her left arm around his waist and kept her right on her zat. Together they headed out.

She took them back the way they'd come, although she headed upward into the hills, knowing it would be easier to hide there. If their luck held out, they'd manage to get a fair distance away before the men returned.

She took one look at the Colonel's pain-filled face and prayed. She didn't know if they were going to make it.


	3. Silence is Golden

_**Okay – this really is a continuation of the story The Rescue. I apologize for the mix up last time!**_

She knew they'd have to stop before long so she could take a look at the Colonel's wounds. For now, however, they had to keep going, at least until they got to a place where they could find cover. She hoped that if they moved into the mountains there would be more places to hide. It was useless to try and make it back to the Gate right away as the men would surely suspect that that's where they'd gone and would check that out first thing.

Besides that, she didn't think the Colonel would make it that far, not until she'd given him some first aid and he'd had a chance to rest. She didn't know how serious his wounds were, but he wasn't looking good.

They must have been travelling for a couple of hours, with a number of stops when O'Neill had stumbled or had fallen, when Sam realized that he'd reached the end of his endurance. They would have to find someplace to stop soon, or he was going to collapse, and there was no way she could carry him any distance.

Casting her eyes around carefully, she studied the terrain to see anywhere for them to stop and rest. So far, she hadn't seen anything that would give them enough cover if and when the band of men came after them.

Just then she saw a small animal – it looked like a cross between a squirrel and a small cat – come out from what looked like solid rock on the side of the mountain. Frowning, she turned to the Colonel. "Sir, I'm going to check something out over there. Can you stand here on your own?"

He didn't respond, and she realized he was almost completely out of it by this time. In fact, she could barely understand how he was still standing.

"Sir, come on", she led him a few steps farther. "I'm just going to lean you against this tree and I'll be right back, okay?" She carefully took her arm from around him and helped him so that he was resting against the side of the tree. He looked glassy eyed and she wondered briefly if he even noticed the change.

She moved quickly to where she'd seen the animal, continually checking back to see that the Colonel was alright. So far he seemed to be staying upright, but she was pretty sure it wouldn't last.

When she got to the hill – mountain, she still didn't know what to call it – she could see nothing. She then moved a couple of feet to her right, and there it was, a small crevice in the rock. The opening was narrow – barely a foot wide. Running back quickly to grab her flashlight, she returned and shone it inside the crack. It seemed to go on for quite a ways and looked like it got wider. With another glance at the Colonel, she edged her way inside, praying that it wasn't the den of some vicious animal, although the appearance of the small squirrel like creature reassured her.

She squeezed in and almost immediately the area grew wider and she was looking at a small cave. It wasn't tall enough to stand up in, maybe only about 4 feet high, and would be barely big enough for the Colonel to lie down. The good news was it was dry and safe.

She squeezed back out, just in time to see the Colonel sag to the ground. She tried to reach him before he landed, but didn't quite make it. Fortunately he landed in an area covered with leaves and so wasn't hurt, although she worried that he had passed out.

She quickly rolled him over onto his back and grimaced when she saw that his shirt was wet again from blood. She should have looked to him sooner, although getting away had seemed to be the priority at the time.

"Okay Sir, let's take a look at you." After pulling out her first aid kit she set everything out and then turned to O'Neill. She started by carefully removing his vest and then unbuttoning his shirt. She had grabbed a change of clothes for both of them from the packs so ended up cutting it off of him the rest of the way. It was torn and covered in blood and dirt. It was best to simply get rid of it.

She scowled when she finally saw the wound. "Damn it Sir! Why is it always you who seems to get poked full of holes!" The wound, about two inches above his right nipple, was clearly infected. The skin was inflamed and there were streaks of red radiating outward. Worse than that was the colored and smelly discharge coming from the wound.

She carefully cleaned it using the antiseptic wipes provided in the kit. Pressing lightly on the wound caused it to seep a bloody discharge so she continued to clean it as best she could and then bandaged it. Her next task was to work on his leg.

She sat for a minute, pondering whether or not to rip his pants or to remove them. Like his shirt, the pants were covered in dirt and blood and it would probably be better to get rid of them. Still, it could be a difficult task with the Colonel totally unconscious.

Finally she reached for his belt and undid it. He'd probably feel better without it anyway, she decided. Pulling it free she then unbuttoned and unzipped them. "Sorry Sir", she muttered and carefully began to peel them off him.

She was startled when a hand came out and grabbed her arm.

"What - ?" his groggy voice asked.

"Sir, I'm just trying to get these off so I can look at the wound on your leg."

"Oh – kay." He dropped her arm and lay back down. "Can't complain – 'bout woman undressing – me."

She grinned slightly. "It's your lucky day Sir", she answered.

"Yup – and – can't even – enjoy it!"

"Sorry about that Sir." As they were talking she continued to pull his pants down. She heard him hiss in pain when she reached the wound and a quick glance at it confirmed that it too was infected. "Sorry", she said again, "almost done."

"Kay."

She realized, when she got the pants down, that she hadn't removed his boots so spent a few precious seconds untying and removing them. She noticed that the Colonel had started to shiver, so she quickly grabbed the emergency blanket and placed it over him.

He still appeared to be awake, although he was shivering and was looking bleary eyed, as if he no longer knew what was happening. When she carefully touched his leg, just above the wound, he groaned. He was still with it enough to feel pain, though, and she knew cleaning it was going to hurt.

"Sir, I have to clean your leg and I'm afraid it's going to hurt. I don't want to give you anything until we're in the cave, okay?" It took him a second before he'd look at her but eventually he seemed to focus.

"Kay", he repeated.

She didn't know how aware he was, whether in fact, he understood her or was just answering what he could. Knowing that she needed to get this finished and get them inside the small cave she got to work.

She cleaned the wound as quickly as she could, knowing she was causing the Colonel considerable pain. She could hear his breathing speed up, although he only gasped once or twice.

"There Sir, all done. I just want you to take these antibiotic tablets and then we're going to move."

"Move?" he asked, trying to focus on her. She had to help him sit up and held the water to his lips so he could take the tablets. She felt how hot he was and hoped the medicine would help.

"Yes, I found a nice cozy cave for us to rest in for a while. You can sleep and get better."

He didn't answer and she realized he was almost out again so she'd have to hurry. The first thing she did was move all their supplies into the cave. It was going to be tight, but she couldn't leave anything to be found by the bad guys. She had to make a number of trips as she couldn't fit through the entry way with a full pack. How she was going to get the Colonel through was a real question.

She scooped up some ferns and leaves in a small tarp and carried them in. It would make for a softer bed for the Colonel. She then covered them with the tarp. It was time to get him in and lying down.

"Okay Sir, I'm going to help you up and we're going to go inside the cave. It's a tight squeeze so you're going to have to help me I'm afraid."

He grunted, which she assumed meant he understood and agreed. It took quite a while to get him to his feet, and they were both sweating profusely by the time she did. He swayed precariously and she had to pretty much hold him up, but at least she didn't have to carry him.

"It's straight ahead Colonel. Just follow me." They stumbled, more than walked, to the entrance. This was the tricky part. "Alright Sir, you're going to have to get through this opening. It's narrow, but you should be able to do it."

He made it, barely. It was a very tight squeeze and the pressure on his chest was obviously extremely painful. On top of that he bashed his wounded leg on the rock and yelped in pain. Finally, however, he was through. She followed and settled him on the tarp and covered him with both emergency blankets and then gave him a long drink of water.

"I'm going to give you something for the pain Sir, and then you can rest." She could tell from his face that he was suffering and the fact that he didn't refuse indicated how bad he must feel. She turned on her flashlight in order to see better and quickly injected him with a dose of morphine. That should help him sleep, she thought.

She returned to the outside and spent the next half an hour making sure that their trail was totally covered and that she hadn't left any sign of their presence. The light was starting to fade so she figured she might as well go inside. She was exhausted – and hungry. There was nothing more to do now, so she might as well rest.

As she pushed herself through the crevice she had to wonder about the Colonel's captors. They had probably returned to camp by now and found their comrades and their prisoner missing. She wondered if they'd attempt to find them tonight, or wait for the morning.

Once inside she again turned on her flashlight as she prepared an MRE for herself. While eating she turned out the light to preserve the batteries. There was still a bit of light entering the cave, but it was quickly getting dark. Checking once more on the Colonel, who was still feverish but seemed to be sleeping, she put everything away and then crawled under the blankets next to him.

She reached out a hand to touch the Colonel's shoulder, as much for her comfort as his, and closed her eyes. She needed the rest and there was nothing else for her to do.

She woke up every couple of hours throughout the night to check on O'Neill. She managed to wake him up once to get him to take some more antibiotics and a drink, but he quickly went back to sleep. His fever wasn't getting better and he'd been incoherent and even somewhat delirious. She was extremely worried, but there wasn't anything more she could do.

The next day she left the cave – carefully – and checked out the surrounding area. There was no sign of anyone, much to her relief. After taking a quick trip to the outdoor 'facilities' she returned to the cave.

She checked out Colonel O'Neill again, and while there didn't seem to be any improvement he didn't seem to be getting any worse either. She dampened a cloth and wiped his forehead. It seemed to give him a tiny bit of relief and he turned his face towards her as if relishing the coolness.

It was a short time later that he began muttering. At first she'd thought he was awake, but very quickly realized he was delirious. She was taken aback when she realized that he was actually speaking a foreign language. Other than a bit of Ancient he'd learned in the time loop, she had never heard him speak anything other than English. She wondered if Daniel knew.

She listened for a while and decided that he was speaking Russian. It wasn't surprising she supposed, considering that he'd been special ops when the cold war was still going on.

What _was_ surprising, was that a short while later he switched to a new language and this one she _could _understand. He was speaking fluent French. She wondered where in the world he'd picked that up. She didn't think it was something he would have learned in the Air Force, but you never knew. The Colonel wasn't one to share his past, or his abilities. Still, French was a surprise.

He kept muttering off and on for the next few hours. Most of what he said made no sense, but occasionally there would be something that was clear. One or two times he said something –in French – that had her feeling glad he wouldn't remember this. It sounded as if the Colonel had had some wild times when he was younger.

She got so used to his delirium that it took her a few seconds to realize that he was awake and staring at her. "Colonel?" she knelt down closer. "How are you feeling Sir?"

He made a strangled noise in his throat and she quickly offered him a drink. He was probably dry from all that talking! Once he indicated he'd had enough she lowered the canteen.

"Okay", he answered then. "Where-"

"Where are we? We're in a cave Sir. We're headed back in the direction of the Gate, but I didn't think we'd make it before they caught up to us, not with you in the shape you're in. Instead I found this place and thought we'd stay until you're a little stronger."

He blinked slowly, then nodded. "You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine Sir – just taking it easy here. It's you I'm worried about. I want you to take some more antibiotics. Do you want something for the pain?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm fine. How far to the Gate?"

She knew he was far from fine, but at least he was conscious and relatively coherent. "Uh, probably about a day and a half – longer with your leg the way it is. I figured we should wait here for a while. We have enough food, and there's a stream close by. We should be fine here and I expect they'll eventually give up."

He nodded absently, a faraway look in his eyes. She reached over and felt his forehead, but he barely reacted. She was really starting to worry about him. Not only was his fever not getting any better, he seemed to be having trouble staying alert.

"Sir, I'm going to make something for you to eat, okay? You need to keep your strength up."

"No", he said softly, his eyes closing. "Not hungry – Captain."

Captain? He was very clearly confused. Shortly thereafter he fell asleep and soon started his talking and muttering.

The day went on and she simply sat and watched him, occasionally holding a cool cloth on his head, although it didn't seem to help. He moved between utter silence and delirium – and she wasn't sure which one frightened her the most.

It was growing late in the day, and she was nodding off herself – more from boredom than from actual tiredness. She decided to take one more quick look around outside although so far she had seen no evidence of the men. She hoped this meant they had given up and had moved on.

Things were quiet and she breathed a sigh of relief. She decided to take a quick trip to the stream and fill the canteens and then move into the cave for the night.

It was as she was returning that she happened to glance off into the now approaching dusk. At first she didn't see it, but there was a flicker and she stopped dead. She watched carefully, and realized that she could see a fire in the distance.

It must be the band of men, she decided. Damn, she had so hoped they wouldn't follow. She was pretty sure they didn't know where they were, but they were probably heading towards the Gate.

After one last look, she moved back into the cave and got things organized for the night. The cave barely had room for the two of them, with a small alcove for their things. She'd left the sterno at hand and decided it would be safe to heat and to make a cup of tea. It was starting to grow chilly.

She was about to settle down for the night when the Colonel began to toss and turn. The next thing she knew he was talking and muttering. He grew louder and louder and she began to be afraid that his voice would carry to the men camped out in the distance. She knew that sounds travelled far at night and worried that they'd be found.

"Shhh", she whispered, trying to settle him down, but it didn't help. She grew more concerned and when he opened his mouth, looking as if he was going to yell or scream, she frantically covered it with her hand.

That did it and he immediately reared up and tried to hit her. A tussle ensued and she had a devil of a time trying to subdue him. He got in a couple of hits and she knew she'd have some bruises to show for them. She just was thankful that he was so weak; otherwise he would have done some serious damage.

"No you don't – Colonel", she panted, as she finally forced him back down onto his front and grabbed his arm and held it back. She was worried that she'd hurt him, but hadn't known what else to do. She felt him go limp, but waited a second to make sure it was real and not a ploy. Once she was convinced he was truly out, she gently rolled him over.

"Oh Sir", she cried softly. His chest wound had opened up again and was bleeding. She spent the next few moments re-bandaging him and getting him settled and then finally collapsed on the ground beside him. It was only then that she realized that she was aching all over and that her face was sore. She lifted her hand and tenderly touched her cheek, which felt swollen and hot. She was going to have a terrible bruise, but didn't think anything was broken. She knew, however, that the Colonel was going to feel bad – if he got well in time to see it.

She dozed off and on for the next couple of hours and the Colonel remained quiet. Just when she thought things were safe, he began to talk, this time in English.

His words made no sense at all. He went from muttering about 'having to get some goats' to 'the rocks are there'. She knew they were simply the mutterings of a sick man, but she couldn't help but wonder where those things came from and what was going on in his head.

So far he was speaking softly, but she worried that he would get louder. There was also a concern that one of the men might come close and that he'd hear the Colonel.

As he continued to talk and mutter she looked at him frantically. Was she going to have to tie him up and gag him to keep him quiet? She really didn't want to have to do that but knew he could be dangerous in the condition he was in. She was well trained, but not nearly as strong – or as sneaky – as the Colonel. She'd been lucky the last time and still had bruises to show for it.

Just then he let out a loud moan and that decided it. She had to do _something_ to stop him before he got too loud. Damn! As he opened his mouth again she cursed and then bent down.

"I hope you don't remember this Sir!" she then put her mouth against his and kissed him.

_**Okay – had to do something to add some spice! **_


	4. A Complication

It was amazing, but the kiss seemed to settle him down completely. He stopped muttering and tossing and turning. Maybe it was the shock, she giggled, punch drunk in relief. She was just thankful the Colonel wouldn't remember this little episode.

For the rest of the night he was quiet, although his fever continued to burn hot. She tried to wake him up at one point, to take more antibiotics, but she couldn't get him to respond. She really worried that the infection was taking over. Suddenly, her decision to stop and wait didn't seem so good. The Colonel needed medical attention, and soon.

By the time morning came she was exhausted from worry and lack of sleep. She'd been afraid that if she did sleep she'd lose him. She knew that was unreasonable – it's not as if she could really do anything for him anyway. Still, she would only manage to doze for a few minutes when her eyes would pop open and she'd have to check on him.

After deciding it was time to forget about trying to sleep, she sat up fully and fixed herself a tea and ate a power bar for breakfast. She had enough water for now, but would try to make her way to the stream in a little while. She also had to pee, although she could ignore that for now.

She sat for a while, trying to decide what to do. She assumed the bandits – or whoever they were – were on their way to the Gate. She hoped that when they didn't find Jack they'd turn around and leave. Maybe they'd assume they had made it through already, especially since they had the black box.

That reminded her – she still hadn't really looked at it, having been too worried about the Colonel to even think about alien technology.

She pulled it out of her pack and turned it over in her hand. It was made of some kind of composite material, although she couldn't tell what it was. At first she had thought it was smooth, but when she looked at it closely, she could tell it was covered in some kind of symbols, or writing. It was too dark in the cave to determine whether she recognized the script or not. She'd have to take it outside and see.

She eventually determined that six of the sides were smooth, except for the writing, but the sixth had three small indentations. When she touched them nothing happened – at least as far as she could see. She assumed they were what powered the box, although she couldn't tell without some kind of visible reaction. She then tried to see if it came apart but, outside of breaking it, she didn't see any way to get into it.

After a while she put it away in frustration. It hadn't really told her anything. If she could recognize the writing she might be able to figure it out but for now there was no point in examining it any more.

Just then the Colonel groaned and moved his head. "Colonel? How are you Sir?" she moved closely beside him when she noticed his eyes open.

"Carter?" he asked, his voice so soft she could barely hear.

"It's me Sir. How are you?"

"Where -?"

"We're in a cave Colonel – don't you remember. You were captured and wounded but we got away yesterday and we're waiting here until you're better."

"Better?"

"Yes – you were shot with arrows."

"Oh", he answered, his eyes unfocused and moving aimlessly.

She wondered how much of anything he was taking in. He didn't seem at all coherent and she worried that whatever was affecting him was getting worse.

"Sir, do you understand where you are?"

"Huh? Carter? That you?"

"Yes Sir, it's me. Do you know where we are Colonel?"

"Where? I – no – where?"

"We're in a cave on the planet with the ruins – you know P7X 3Y9."

"Oh." He lay quietly for a long time. Sam had actually wondered if he'd fallen asleep when he spoke suddenly. "Not – uninhabited Major."

"No, it's not Sir. I'm sorry."

"Nothin' – to be – sorry – for. Not your – fault."

"No, I know, but I should have been more careful. We should always assume a planet could have hostiles on it. I grew careless."

"You – me – both. Should -na sent Danny – Teal'c back."

"Colonel, how are you feeling now?"

"Like – crap", he attempted to smile. "Really – want – Janet and her – honkin' – needles."

"Wow Sir, I've never heard you say that before!" she tried to smile, knowing he was attempting to cheer her up.

"Don't – tell her – Major."

"I promise Sir. My lips are sealed."

"Lips?" he frowned, as if trying to remember something. "Had a – strange – dream", he said softly.

"Yes Colonel?" she asked.

"Dreamed you -"

"That I what Sir?"

He looked at her out of eyes which were glassy and filled with pain. "Nothin' Major." He'd almost told her that he'd dreamed that she had kissed him. He'd thankfully realized, at the last minute, that it probably wasn't the most appropriate thing to say to his subordinate. It would make her uncomfortable. It was a nice dream though. He just wished it hadn't been a dream. He'd bet anything that Samantha Carter was a great kisser!

Stop that Jack, he said to himself. Don't be thinking things like that. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his chest and gasped. He'd been feeling slightly better, but now the pain and fogginess was returning. He knew something was very wrong with him and was starting to feel worried.

"Colonel! What is it? What's wrong?"

"Hurts – chest", he groaned. "Feelin' funny." His head flopped over to the side and he looked as if he was in a kind of stupor. She felt his forehead and he was still burning up, although it didn't feel any hotter than a moment ago.

His eyes remained open, which she found eerie, although he didn't acknowledge her at all now. Damn, why didn't she give him the antibiotics when she'd had the chance? She knew she wasn't going to get anything down him now! After a couple of minutes his eyes drifted shut and he seemed to be sleeping. She hoped so.

Finally realizing there was nothing else she could do for now, she decided to take a look outside. Very carefully, she squeezed through the opening but stayed totally still once she was out of the cave. After a few moments she moved slowly to the trees and looked over to where the men had been camped the night before.

Of course she couldn't see anything – but she was still worried. She assumed they had gone towards the Gate, but it was also possible that they were looking through the forest. She finally decided to go and fill up her canteens quickly and use the 'latrine' and then she'd climb back in the cave and stay there for awhile.

She had just finished zipping up her pants when she heard the sound. It sounded like someone or something had stepped on a branch. She froze, barely daring to breathe, while she listened for further sounds. It didn't take long before she heard more footsteps and then a voice could be heard clearly.

Oh God Jack, she thought, please be quiet!

Two men were coming through the forest towards her location. She heard them talking and laughing, although she had no idea what they said. She debated whether to stay where she was, or try to make it back to the cave.

The decision was taken out of her hands when she saw movement through the trees and knew they'd arrived sooner than she'd expected.

She stayed completely still, hoping and praying they wouldn't look in her direction and see her standing there. At least she had her zat with her. The first rule the Colonel had drilled into her head is never to go _anywhere_ on a mission – bathroom included – without her weapon.

The men continued to talk and laugh and strode directly into the clearing in front of their little cave. She knew the entrance wouldn't be visible from where they were standing and she kept her fingers crossed that the little mammal from before wouldn't decide to investigate its previous hiding place – or that the Colonel would start his talking or tossing and turning.

She knew, if worse came to worse, she could zat the two as she had done with the others. She didn't want to however, as neither of these men had offered her any harm. They had been part of the group that kidnapped the Colonel – that she could tell – but for all she knew they were decent men.

"Hara tre parabole zina", one of them said. He seemed to be pointing in the direction of the Gate.

"Ne. Tes tauri parabole nachta." Okay, she'd caught 'Tauri' so they must still be searching for the Colonel. She wondered if they knew she was still on the planet or whether they thought she'd left. She just wished these guys would leave – and soon!

Unfortunately, right at that moment one of them turned towards her. For a moment there was no reaction and she thought maybe she hadn't been seen. Then she saw the man's expression slowly change.

"Tes Tauri!" he yelled and pulled out his weapon.

That was all she needed as she raised her zat and shot the bandit. He fell to the ground, writhing and soon passed out. She turned immediately to the other one but he dove behind a tree and began to return fire.

"Damn!" She should have been quicker. She returned fire but was unable to get a clear shot. After a couple of minutes, she heard rustling and saw the back of the man as he ran away. She attempted to hit him with another shot, but missed as he zig zagged wildly through the forest.

She quickly scouted the area but when she could see no one else she rose and moved towards the cave. She stopped when she got to the fallen man and decided that she should take the time to tie him up. He might come to any moment and the last thing she needed was to be surprised!

She tore strips off of his shirt – "sorry", she muttered, and quickly tied him up. Once that was done she made her way into the cave.

"What's – goin' on?" Jack was awake although he looked half dead.

"Trouble", she said. "A couple of the hunters or whoever they are just showed up. I managed to shoot one, but the other one got away. We're going to have to head out because I'm afraid they'll be back."

"Kay", he said, and began to try and push himself up. She was relieved he seemed a bit more 'with it', but he was still terribly weak and in pain.

"Can you make it Colonel?" she asked.

"No choice", he grunted. "Give me – a – hand Major."

She helped him to sit up all the way although it was difficult since she wasn't able to stand up completely. "I think it's best if we crawl out of here Sir."

"Crawl? Don't think – I like – that. Not – dignified for – Colonel."

"No, it may not be dignified, but it's better than cracking your head open!"

"True", he tried to grin. "Kay – here – goes."

It took a long time, and by the time they were out they were both sweating profusely. The Colonel collapsed flat on the ground and just lay there, breathing heavily. "Next time – Major – a little bigger – cave."

Just then the little animal that had first alerted her to the cave ran past them and back into their hiding place. The Colonel looked at it in confusion.

"I thought it kind of looked like a cross between a squirrel and a cat", she said.

He looked at her, his eyebrows raised. "A squat?" he said.

She giggled, loving the fact that even as sick and hurt as he was, he was still able to make her laugh.

"Come on Sir – we'd better get moving." She stopped once more to check the prisoner and added a gag. She felt badly, and just hoped that someone would be back to check on him. Unfortunately there was nothing else she could do unless she killed him, and that was just too cold-blooded.

She helped O'Neill stand up and, with her arm around him, they began to make their way through the forest. She knew they had to keep off the main path, so it was hard going. Still, they were headed in the direction of the Gate and, with the small box they'd stolen, she hoped they'd be able to make it home, or at least unjam it and allow the SGC to send help.

For the first little while the Colonel seemed to be doing well. She hoped that the time resting had allowed him to gather some strength. She knew he still had a fever but he was more coherent and able to communicate, albeit in short sentences. After they'd been walking for a while, she began to notice him slowing down. Shortly after that she heard him begun to mutter short phrases. At first she'd tried to answer, or figure out what he was saying, but it soon became obvious that he was delirious again and his words made little sense. When he started to talk about accretion disks and black holes, she definitely knew he was out of it. It's not that she didn't know he was smart and knowledgeable about astronomy; it's just that normally he wouldn't show it.

He continued to talk about all sorts of things – from globular clusters to anchovy pizza. A couple of times she had to laugh at his strange words, although she knew it wasn't really funny. At least he seemed to be able to keep walking but, as they continued, she started to worry again about the noise he was making. Mostly they were soft phrases, but every once in a while he would say something loudly.

"Carter", he said at one point. She thought he'd regained some awareness, and turned to answer him, but he was staring off into the distance.

"Gorgeous", he then stated. "Long legs, beautiful eyes", he continued. "Can't have her."

She grew increasingly embarrassed, knowing that the Colonel wouldn't want her to hear these things. At the same time she was quite flattered. When, a few minutes later, his words became a bit more crude she could feel herself grow red although she knew there was no point in getting offended. These weren't the things he would ever say out loud, and she knew that one's personal thoughts could be less that politically correct. She thought briefly of some of the things she'd thought about the Colonel and was glad _she_ wasn't the one who was delirious. She thought about the times she'd admired his butt – and other parts of him – but stopped there.

They walked for a while farther when he began to falter. He was growing increasingly weak, and she knew they had to stop. Unfortunately there was no cave at hand, so she had to find a place with some shelter. So far she hadn't seen or heard any sign of the hunters, so hopefully this would be a good place to stop.

"Colonel, we're going to stop for the day. Just hold on and I'll fix up your bed, okay."

He didn't answer but he did stand quietly. She managed to pull some soft grass and leaves into a pile and again laid out the tarp. "Okay Sir, you can lie down now."

He didn't so much lie down as fall down. His head had barely touched the ground when he was out like a light. She hoped he was sleeping and not unconscious, although either could be true. She felt his forehead and grimaced. His fever was up.

She walked a short distance to the stream and filled their canteens and wet a small absorbent towel she carried with her. Returning, she began to wipe his face with a cool cloth, trying to bring down his temperature.

After a while she fixed herself something to eat and tried to wake the Colonel in order to give him something. She did manage to get him to take some more pills and some water but he refused any food. He was almost instantly asleep again.

She looked at her watch and saw that it was about 4:00. It was too early to go to sleep and the day was relatively warm. They appeared to be safe here, although she wasn't going to take any chances by lighting a fire, even when it grew colder. They'd just have to sleep closely to preserve heat. The coolness might even help bring O'Neill's temperature down.

Knowing there was nothing more she could do here, she finally decided that she would chance looking around. She tried to hide the Colonel as best she could by moving some dead branches to hide him and then hiding their pack. "Sir", she called softly. After a couple of more attempts he opened his eyes.

"What – Carter?"

Good – he was coherent – at least for now. "Sir, I'm going to do some reconnaissance. I'll be back as soon as possible. Just stay here and stay quiet okay?"

He looked at her blankly for a moment and then nodded slightly. "Weapon?" he asked.

"Here's my knife but be careful and only use it if one of the aliens comes."

He nodded again and put it down beside him. She was really worried about leaving him with a weapon, in his state, but at the same time didn't want to leave him completely defenseless. There was no way she felt comfortable leaving him with a gun. He could end up shooting her or himself.

"Okay – I'll be back shortly. Just try to stay quiet Sir."

"Kay Carter. Care – ful."

"I will be – don't worry Sir."

With a final smile she stood and headed away from their little camp in the direction of the Gate. She travelled as swiftly and as quietly as she could. She'd travelled for about 45 minutes when she again heard voices. She stopped and moved into the denser brush and sidled slowly towards the men who were speaking.

There were four of them altogether. They were missing the two she'd encountered outside their cave and one other. She wondered if the man she'd shot at had returned or not. He may have gone back with someone to either save their comrade or to find her.

The leader of the group was here and he was gesturing angrily. He pointed towards the Gate and she could hear the word 'Tauri' again. They knew who they were and were clearly desperate to keep them from leaving the planet. She really wondered why that was.

She watched for a few more minutes, convinced the group was heading towards the Gate as well. That would make things much more difficult she knew. She really wished she had more information – and back up. She felt very much alone right now. If it had just been her she could have handled it, but with the Colonel wounded and in need of help, she felt a sense of desperation to get back to earth.

Without warning she saw movement to the side of where the four men were standing. Not thinking too much about it, she glanced over to the side – just in time to see new arrivals.

The person in the lead was dressed lavishly and walked with extreme arrogance. Following him and to his right and left were extremely large, imposing figures – and they all had marks on their foreheads. The one directly beside the elegant man had a gold tattoo. Jaffa and the First Prime.s

The Goa'uld had arrived. That explained the fact that they knew about the 'Tauri'. It also explained why they were desperate to capture them.

She turned and quietly made her way back towards Jack. Things had suddenly grown much more complicated!


	5. Reliance

By the time she reached the Colonel it was starting to grow dark. She knew they'd have to camp outdoors tonight and she couldn't risk a fire, not with the Goa'uld and the 'locals' so close. She was increasingly worried about the Colonel and what a night in the cold would do to him.

He seemed to be sleeping when she arrived, although she had a suspicion he might actually be unconscious. He seemed to move from one to the other, and from coherence to delirium with little or no warning. She'd never really seen anything like it, although she admitted to herself she was no expert. She just really wanted to get him home, back to Janet and the Infirmary.

"Colonel", she carefully reached down and touched his shoulder. "Sir." She very gently shook him and after a few seconds his eyes cracked open. "How are you Sir?" she asked.

It took him a while before he was able to focus on her. Finally he blinked and spoke. "Carter – what's up?"

"I checked out the Gate Sir. It looks like we have bit more of a problem than we thought."

"What?"

"There's a Goa'uld here. I didn't recognize him but he has Jaffa with him. The men who kidnapped you are working for him and they've told him we're 'Tauri'. I think he wants us badly."

"Crap", O'Neill muttered softly. He attempted to sit up but fell back weakly. "Help – me Major."

"Sir, you should rest. There's no point getting up – we can't do anything right now anyway. It's getting dark."

"Tired of – lying down Major. Help me."

She sighed but reached down and helped him sit up. She put her pack behind him to give him support. She worried when she saw how weak he looked but knowing him, and how obstinate he could be, she decided it was best to humor him.

"Plans Major?" he asked her.

She was quiet for a moment, surprised that he seemed to be looking to her to take over. It started her worrying even more. It took a lot for the Colonel to acknowledge he wasn't able to be in command.

"Uh, we'll have to camp out here tonight Sir. In the morning I'd like to more to a more secure location – hopefully closer to the Gate. Once I know you're safe I want to try to see if I can get the Gate operable again with the black box."

"Too many people around the Gate", he said briefly. "Too dangerous."

"I know Sir. I don't mean I'll dial the Gate yet. I just thought I'd see if the box did anything – from a distance. It may allow General Hammond to send reinforcements."

"Yeah." There was a long pause while the Colonel just sat there. Suddenly his face changed as if he was trying to figure something out. "No", he said shortly.

"Pardon me Sir? No what?"

"No – don't try the Gate. Hammond would send people into danger. Let's wait to see if they move out."

"But Sir, we need to get you to the Infirmary. You can't really wait."

"Have to Major. Better that than lose good people. They know we have – the box. Will be waiting for us to – try it."

"All right Sir", she sighed. He was right. She was too worried about getting them back and wasn't thinking clearly. Hopefully the Goa'uld and the others would clear out soon. She just wished she had a better idea where they were based. Did they have a ship or had they come through the Gate? Were there more of them or just the ones they'd seen? Why _hadn't_ they seen them before? Too many questions and no answers. It was frustrating and she desperately wanted to figure this whole thing out.

"Thinkin' too hard – again – Major?"

"Yes Sir", she smiled faintly. "I'm trying to figure out what the Goa'uld are doing here?"

"We're here – so – Goa'uld", was all he said.

"I know Sir, but I have a feeling they were here before us."

"Doesn't matter – where we –are – there'll be Goa'uld. Law of nature."

She laughed. "That it is Sir. We do seem to have bad luck when it comes to running into the bad guys. For once I wish we could just go to a planet, find something useful and head home. Instead we either find someplace useless and miserable or we get attacked!"

"Not boring", he grinned.

"No, it's not boring, that I grant you." She was quiet as the evening grew darker. "Do you ever wish you led a more normal life Sir?" she asked quietly. She saw his face change briefly and suddenly felt uncomfortable. What was she thinking? The Colonel had _had_ a more normal life and it had all gone at the sound of a single gunshot. "I'm sorry -"

"T'sokay", he smiled, knowing she felt bad. "I've – always liked – adventure. Reason I – joined the – Air Force."

"Yeah, me too, although there are days I just wish I could have a regular 9 to 5 job and come home to a nice house and friends and all that."

"Samantha Carter – 9 to 5? No way. And you – have friends – Major."

"I know Colonel – Teal'c and you and Daniel – you're more than friends, you're family. Most of the time I'm glad I'm doing what I'm doing. It's just that – sometimes I wish – I could be different."

"No – wouldn't want you different – Sam. You're too – special the way – you are!"

She could feel herself blush at the Colonel's words and wasn't sure what to say. At that moment, however, she noticed that his eyes seemed to be losing focus and he was beginning to sway. "Sir, you need to lie down! Let me help you." Without waiting for his answer she helped lower him back to the ground and covered him with a blanket. Again, the fact that he didn't say anything made her realize that he was still in a bad way.

She knew she couldn't chance making anything hot but, before he went back to sleep, she insisted he drink some water and take more antibiotics and pain pills. He refused anything to eat and was soon asleep – or passed out. She felt his forehead and shook her head. He was still burning up.

She secured the area and sat down to watch for the night. She wanted to get some sleep but didn't think she should chance it. They were too close to the Gate and there was always a chance someone could come by. Mind you, she didn't know how much use she'd be if they _did_ find her but still, it was better not to be caught sleeping.

Early the next morning she had another drink of water – she would have killed for a coffee – and again checked on the Colonel. He didn't seem to be any worse, although she knew that the constant fever had to be weakening him. She was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to travel as far as he had yesterday. Still, they needed to find a better location.

"Colonel", she whispered, for some strange reason she felt the need to be extra quiet this morning.

It took him even longer to wake up than it had the last time and even longer still to focus on her. When he had he just whispered her name.

"Sir, we need to move to a more secure spot. Can you travel?"

He gave a brief nod, although she assumed it was instinct on his part than a true ability to move. He put his hand up and she grasped it in her hand, refusing to even think about how badly he was shaking.

"Okay Sir, let's go." It took longer than she'd planned to get him to his feet. Once up she helped him and they began to walk - although it was painfully slow going. She really wondered if he'd be able to make it very far at all.

After they'd travelled for a couple of hours she knew she should never have underestimated Colonel O'Neill. He was tough and determined – or maybe just bloody stubborn! "Colonel, I think this may be a good place." She looked around at the small, hidden clearing. It was off the beaten trail and was good in that there was lots of cover and it was somewhat protected from the elements.

The Colonel didn't say anything, he simply let go of her and fell to the ground, unconscious before he hit the earth. She quickly knelt beside him and checked him over. His fever had spiked and he felt dangerously hot. She got him into a better position and then wet a towel and began to wipe him down. After a few minutes she decided she would need to strip him, at least partially, and try and cool him off. She struggled, but eventually managed to remove his shirt. She left it at that and spent the next 45 minutes wiping him down with cold water.

She felt him again and he was cooler although his temperature hadn't gone down completely. Still, she figured he was out of immediate danger. She sat back, exhausted, and took out an energy bar.

"Whoever invented you was a sadist", she said to the cardboard like food. It did provide a quick burst of energy but they were the most terrible tasting things. She would have given anything for a hot meal and shower right now. Still – they had a reasonably safe place to hide. Unrolling the tarps and blankets she made up a bed for the Colonel – and for herself. She had to get some sleep or she'd be useless. Once everything was finished she lay down beside him and was soon out like a light.

Jack woke up, disoriented and in pain. He had a hazy recollection of having walked a long distance but he couldn't remember why or where he was. He heard something and tried to turn his head quickly, although the movement almost caused his stomach to give up its meager contents. Once that had settled down he was able to see Sam – Major Carter – asleep beside him.

Okay, he thought, that was strange. Why was she sleeping beside him in the middle of the day? He looked around to find Teal'c and Daniel but they were nowhere to be found. He crinkled his forehead – no wait – they weren't here, were they?

He hated the feeling that there was something he should know, but that it was just outside his grasp. He really didn't like feeling out of control. Anytime he'd been in that situation in the past it had not been a happy place.

Carter moved unconsciously in her sleep and he allowed himself to look at her freely. She was a beautiful woman – especially when she looked at you with those huge blue eyes. Still – right now she looked exhausted and sweaty. He was pretty sure that he must be sick – or wounded – and she was looking after him. He allowed himself to close his eyes, confident in her, but wishing he could help. She shouldn't have to look after a grumpy old soldier like him, he thought. No – she should be out – having fun.

For some reason that gave him a pang, but he refused to acknowledge it or examine why it bothered him. She was on his team – and he had to think of her no differently than Teal'c or Daniel.

He snorted softly. Like _that's_ gonna happen O'Neill!" With one last thought about the woman at his side, he allowed himself to fall back asleep – secure in the knowledge that she'd watch over him.

By the time Sam awoke it was late in the afternoon. She cursed at the fact that she'd allowed herself to sleep for so long. She looked at the Colonel and he seemed to be resting peacefully.

She figured now was the time to see if anything had changed by the Gate. It couldn't be too far away so she should be able to get there and back quickly and hopefully find out something useful.

"Colonel", she called softly. When he was finally awake and aware enough to understand her she told him she was heading out. "I'll leave you the zat Sir but please, don't shoot me or yourself!"

He grinned and attempted a salute, although he didn't have the strength to complete it.

"I'm going to check things out but I'll be careful not to be seen. Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine Major. Are you – taking the box?" he added. For some reason he was able to think more clearly now – why he didn't know, or whether or not it would last.

"No, I'll leave it here."

"Can I – look at – it?"

"Sure." She went to her pack and pulled it out and handed it to him.

The instant his hands touched it it emitted a soft hum and one of the side panels clicked open.

"What the – ? Here Sir, can I take a look?"

Jack looked in surprise at the object in his hand but after a second handed it to Carter. She took it gingerly but as soon as she touched it the humming stopped and it immediately closed. "Okay, that's weird. I wonder why it does that with you?"

"My – magnetic – personality?"

"Possibly Sir", she laughed. "But I expect there must be some other reason. Do you have any idea what the writing on there says?"

He looked at it curiously and was surprised when it was instantly recognizable. "It's Ancient", he said.

She looked at the writing and felt like smacking her head. Of course it was – she should have known that. Her only excuse was she'd been focused on keeping the Colonel alive and safe. "Can you read it?" she asked, knowing he'd learned some of it in the time loop.

"Uh – maybe", he said, although he was beginning to look bad again. He didn't speak and she thought he was studying the box, but after a moment realized he'd simply 'faded out.'

"Sir, are you okay?"

"Hmmm? What? I'm fine Carter."

"Can you read it Sir?' she said, handing the box back to him. He stared at it in confusion and then looked at her.

"What is it?"

"It's the box Sir – the one that controls the Gate."

"Gate? Why? " He looked around. "Where – are – we Major?"

Great – he was definitely losing it and she really needed him to concentrate. "Sir, we're stuck on Planet ? remember? The Goa'uld are guarding the Gate – which is somehow jammed by this box. I need you to see if you can read it."

"Read? A box? What?"

"Yes Sir - Jack", she said calmly, as if talking to a small child. "I need you to take a look at this", she held out the object, "and see if you can read what's written on it. I'll hold it – don't touch it", she said quickly as he reached for it.

"Why – not?"

"Because it seems to activate when you touch it and we don't know what that will do. Please, just take a look and see if you know what it says."

"Kay", he answered and leaned forward to try and read the figures on the black cube. "It's – not in English", he said, lying back and closing his eyes.

"I know Sir – it's in Ancient. Can you read it?"

"Me? Ancient? "

"Yes Sir, can you read Ancient?"

"Maybe", he said, his eyes closing again.

"SIR", she wanted to shout but kept her voice to a fierce whisper. "Please concentrate. Take a look and try and translate it. It could be important."

He opened his eyes and stared at her in confusion. She didn't know what to do. He was once again totally disoriented and seemed unable to concentrate for even a minute. Things were getting more desperate and she had to somehow get him home.

"What – Major?" he said again.

"Can you read this Sir? It's in Ancient."

He stared again at the box and then it looked as if a shiver ran through him – but he was suddenly more coherent. "I'll – try Major. Don't know how – good I'll do."

She held out the box again, close enough so he could read it. He squinted at it for a second, trying hard to concentrate.

"I think – it says something – like '- _the man – person – who touches the'_ I can't read the next word – probably means the box – '_will open th_e' – I think that's '_door' to the universe'_. Then there's a warning not to do_ something_ or it will be '_bad'_. The _person who does this thing _– whatever it is _– will be_ – I think it says something like _damned or destroyed_.' It's – definitely a – warning. Better be careful Major."

"You have no idea what it is you're not supposed to do?" she asked, a worried frown on her face. "I hope it's not about opening the box. Maybe you'd better stay away from it."

"That's my – plan Major. Me and – doohickeys – don't go together – anyway."

She laughed softly. "I don't know about that Sir. I've seen you use pretty sophisticated weapons and tools and you do just fine."

"Shhhh Major – don't – blow my – cover!"

"Okay Colonel, I'll make sure not to – although I think Daniel and Teal'c already have a suspicion."

"Damn!"

She looked at Colonel O'Neill in admiration. How he could keep trying to make her laugh when he was as sick as he was, made her realize again what an amazing man he was. She also knew, however, that the moment he got home and into Janet's clutches, he'd begin whining and complaining about every little thing. It was almost as if, when he knew he was safe, he'd let go of the bravado and allow himself to be miserable. If anyone deserved to be that way, it was the Colonel. And the fact of the matter was, she would give anything right now to hear him grousing and complaining. That would mean they were safe.

"Sir, I'm going to head out and take a look. Can you wait here and rest? I shouldn't be too long."

"Okay – just – be careful Sam. They'll be – all over."

"Don't worry Colonel. I'll be extra careful. Just keep the home fires burning – figuratively of course – for me."

"Will do – Major."

She headed in the direction of the Gate, being as quiet as she could. She tried not to worry about the Colonel, knowing she couldn't let herself get distracted. She did allow herself a few minutes to think about the black box and wonder what the hell it was.

The part about opening the door to the universe seemed to make sense if somehow it controlled the Gate. The warning was what was confusing. It could be that there was some kind of fail safe or booby trap that the unsuspecting would trigger if they didn't know what they were doing. It made her hesitant to try it. At the same time, they had to get off this planet. She decided she was definitely tired of it.

"And I don't plan to visit again", she whispered. "I give this place less than one star out of five!"

At that moment she came to a small clearing in the trees and she could see the Gate in the distance. She didn't see anyone in the area but knew that didn't mean anything. It was most likely that they were keeping well hidden. Of course it _did _mean that she'd have to move closer to determine who and how many were there, if any.

The day had turned cloudy and there was a sultry stillness to the air that caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand up. Things were quiet – too quiet, she realized, and she worried that the sound of her footsteps would echo through the trees. The closer she came to the Gate, the more the sense that something was wrong – that evil lurked near – began to grow. She stopped dead (bad analogy she thought with a silent laugh) and listened, but no sound disturbed the unnatural stillness.

She decided to keep moving, but all her senses were on the alert. When a small animal – a squat, she grinned – ran out in front of her she practically shot it but managed to stop herself in time. She had to get control of her nerves or she could make a fatal error – and it would not just be fatal for her, but for the Colonel as well.

She stopped again, her heartbeats beating a loud – and too fast – rhythm in her ears. She took slow breaths, trying to calm her heart and her nerves and after a few seconds succeeded. She thought about the Colonel, about the fact that he was relying on her – that he needed her and that he trusted her to get them home. The thought that he was counting on her calmed her even more. For him she could do this – _had_ to do this.

She continued walking – carefully, quietly – and suddenly came to a small clearing in the woods. Standing in the middle of the clearing was one of the Jaffa – and he was looking straight at her.


	6. Tinkly Winkly

_**Sorry for the delay - we had a family emergency and I haven't been able to write the last few days. Thank you to my lovely reviewers and I would love to hear from those of you who read my stories, but don't review! Thanks.**  
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It was one of those weird moments that occur rarely in life and is so unreal you wonder later if in fact it did happen. All she knew was that she couldn't move and that everything seemed to move in slow motion.

The Jaffa stared at her, as shocked as she was. She wondered briefly why he wasn't moving, why he didn't lift his staff weapon and shoot her. All at once she seemed to snap out of her brief stupor and it dawned on her what he was doing. She almost laughed – more from nervousness than anything – although later she was to remember this with some humor. She'd just come upon a Jaffa taking a leak. It was only when she realized what he was 'up to' so to speak, that she lifted her weapon.

"Obi'tan! Kel tok, Jaffa", she said, remembering the few words Teal'c had taught her for just this situation. The Jaffa responded by dropping his staff weapon and slowly lifting his hands, leaving his pants undone. Knowing how humiliated he must be feeling, and knowing also that a humiliated Jaffa was a dangerous Jaffa, she gestured with her hands, indicating he should do himself up – slowly and with one hand.

Once he was done he raised his arm again and stood there, looking angry but obviously too careful to try anything.

Well, she'd caught herself a Jaffa – now what the hell to do with him? "Kree tal shal mak?" she finally asked. Might as well start with his name!

"I am "Kar'pal" he responded "Servant of the God Sopdu."

Thank God, she thought, he speaks English. Wait a second - Sopdu? She couldn't remember ever hearing a Goa'uld by that name. Where was Daniel when you needed him?

"Where are the others?" she asked softly. She looked around carefully but so far hadn't heard or seen anyone. Still, she was nervous as she was pretty sure he wouldn't have wandered too far to do his business.

"They are near", he replied arrogantly. "Soon they will be here and they will capture you and then kill you. You are nothing – you are but a woman!" he said with contempt dripping from his mouth.

"Well, this _woman_ just captured you – next time I suggest you watch a bit more carefully when you decide to take a leak – and now I'm telling you to put your hands behind your head – slowly – and get down on your knees! Do it now because I _will_ kill you if I have to – woman or not!" She spoke calmly and looked directly at him, letting him know she meant business.

He did as she said, after a short hesitation. A small part of her enjoyed the sight – how many times had they been forced to kneel by some supercilious Jaffa! She walked forward carefully and kicked his staff weapon a few feet away. "Now, lie down but keep your hands behind your head." After he'd done that, with a few muttered words of Goa'uld which she suspected weren't too polite, she quickly removed his zat from the holster on his belt. Stepping back, she exchanged her weapon for the Goa'uld weapon and zatted him.

"Sorry", she murmured, as he lay unconscious on the ground, "but it's easier this way." She then quickly and efficiently tied him up, gagged him and pulled him deeper into the woods. She was about to walk away and then decided to go one better and tie him to a tree – that way he couldn't attempt to crawl or 'roll' back into the clearing.

Her heart still beating from the encounter, she headed through the woods, continuing in the direction of the gate. She stopped when she heard voices ahead.

"How could you let them get away, you fool!" From the deep echoed tone it was obviously the Goa'uld talking. She wondered why he was speaking English. She got her answer when a voice answered in that language.

"He tell us the other was go through Chappai."

"And you believed him? You fools! Of course he would say that."

"He hurt bad – not go far."

"For your sake I hope so, although these Tauri are tricky and have a bad habit of disappearing. At least they can't get through the Gate."

There was a very uncomfortable pause, which the Goa'uld Sopdu must have picked up on, for almost immediately Sam heard him continue.

"You did activate the Men'ra did you not?" he asked softly. Sam was very glad she was not the native man right now. She wondered if he knew in how much danger he was. The Goa'uld did not accept failure very easily.

"Yes", the big man answered.

"And?" replied the Goa'uld, very, very softly.

"Tauri, he steal it."

"You're telling me the Tauri have gotten their hands on the Men'ra? Did I not tell you to guard it as if your life depended on it? Did I not say it must not fall into their hands?"

"Yes, yes, not my fault. My men – were to bring – but left it. I did not know!"

"You are their leader, you are supposed to know."

The next thing Sam heard was the native man pleading for his life. She heard the sound of a staff weapon firing, once, twice, three times and then silence. So much for working with the Goa'uld!

"Where is Kar'pal" the Goa'uld asked suddenly. Sam grimaced, recognizing the name of the Jaffa she'd just tied up.

"He went to pass water, my Lord", someone replied.

"Dispose of this" Sopdu said carelessly, clearly referring to the man he'd had killed. "When you've done that go and get the other savages and tell them to guard the Gate carefully. If the Tauri make it through, inform them I will kill all of them, slowly and painfully. When you have done that you, Kar'pal and Tal'men are to continue searching for them. The one who finds them will be rewarded."

"Yes my Lord", the Jaffa replied. "Will you remain here?" he asked respectfully.

"No, I will take Har'nok and return to the Al'Kesh. I must inform my Lord Heru'ur that the imbeciles let them escape but that we will bring them to him shortly."

"May I ask what he plans to do with them My Lord Sopdu?"

"Yes", the Goa'uld said, a very pleased sound to his voice. "He hates the Tauri. I believe one of them bested him in a fight and so he wants revenge. I would not want to be that one for I believe Heru'ur plans on ensuring he suffers a long, long time." There was a brief pause. "No matter – it is not my affair. I only do my Lord Heru'ur's bidding - for a price of course!" He laughed loudly, a sound Sam found sent shivers up her spine.

She heard the sounds of a zat being fired three times. She assumed it was one of them 'disposing' of the body. After that there were more sounds of people, or in this case Jaffa, moving around. She heard the Goa'uld depart and carefully watched him leave with his Prime. She took note of which direction he'd headed. It could come in handy! The other Jaffa walked directly toward the Gate, where she assumed the bandits were waiting. A short while later he returned.

She watched him through the bushes and could see his fierce frown. A couple of minutes later he began to call for Kar'pal. She knew it could get very tricky very quickly if he went looking for his fellow Jaffa. A few minutes of calling and he did began to head in the direction where she'd left the other one.

Damn, she said silently. She was going to have to follow him and take care of this guy. She moved in close behind him, but not so close as to give her position away. The Jaffa – she didn't think she'd heard his name – moved swiftly through the woods, calling every few seconds for his colleague.

They eventually reached the small clearing where she'd first come across the 'peeing Jaffa' – she grinned to herself – she knew that's how she was going to remember this episode. The Jaffa she was following looked around for his companion. It was only as he turned to face her location that she realized something– he had lifted his staff weapon and was pointing it right at her. At some point he'd realized he was being followed but hadn't let on.

"Come out or I shall kill you", he called. He figured it was either one of the native men or the Tauri so he spoke in English.

"Sorry", she said softly as she shot her zat. Unfortunately, he must have sensed what she was about to do and moved at the last minute, firing back with his staff weapon.

Sam cursed at herself for missing and dove out of the way just in time. She fired back and missed a second shot as the Jaffa dove behind a tree. The fire battle went on for a few more seconds until finally she managed to hit him with the zat. He fell to the ground and she began to move towards him when he suddenly moved and fired his staff weapon. The zat shot had either only winged him, or he was resistant to its full effects she thought later. Right now, however, she did the only thing she could and hit him a second time with her zat. This time he was still.

She approached him carefully but from the looks of him he was really out. After kicking away his staff weapon she quickly checked for a pulse. Standing slowly she looked down at the dead Jaffa. She always hated taking a life, even if it was one of an enemy. In this case it had truly been a him vs her kind of choice. She was definitely glad it had been him.

She pointed her zat a third time and removed all trace of the Jaffa. That too made her feel awful – he would not receive the dignity of a Jaffa funeral but again, she had little choice. It also meant that there were two less Jaffa in pursuit of them.

She checked quickly on the one she'd tied up. He was staring at her but his bonds were still tight. She pulled off his gag and allowed him a drink of water but before he had a chance to make any noise had returned it to his mouth. "I'm sorry", she said, "but I have no choice. I'll make sure someone comes and releases you."

She then stood up and headed back to where the Colonel was resting. She hoped he was okay.

Her first sight of him frightened her. He was completely still and she had the terrible thought that he'd died while she was gone. She walked over quickly and knelt down and felt for his pulse. This time she was grateful to find one. He was still hot but at least was alive, although from the look of him he was getting worse. She had to do something – and now!

"Sam", his soft voice startled her and she looked down into his eyes which, although glazed, were looking at her steadily.

"Sir, how are you doing?" she asked gently.

"Fine. What – did you – find out?"

"Well, the Goa'uld we're dealing with is named Soptu" she said, putting her hand on the Colonel's forehead. "I've never heard of him before. It seems like he's working for Heru'ur who, for some unknown reason, has a vendetta against the Tauri!" She looked down at the Colonel who grimaced slightly. They both knew it was his skewering of the Goa'uld's hand that had caused him to declare war on the Tauri!

While she was speaking Sam had retrieved a canteen and some medicine. She insisted that O'Neill drink and take more antibiotics. She also gave him some pain meds, even though he tried to resist. "Sir, we're going to have to move again so you have to take these. There's no point 'grinning and bearing it'. Just take the damn medicine!"

"That'd be – take the damn medicine – Sir!" he said, a small smile appearing to let her know he was just kidding. He allowed her to give him the pain tablets, secretly glad she'd made him take them. He was feeling worse than ever and, for the first time, wondered if he'd make it back alive from this mission.

"Sam", he said, calling her by her first name for the second time. She looked at him fearfully, knowing that it had to be pretty serious before he'd call her that.

"What Sir?" she asked softly.

"I – promise me you'll - make it back to earth. Don't – worry about me. You can go and – get help and – send someone back."

She just looked at him, knowing that if she were to leave him that would be it – he would never make it home. She knew exactly what he was trying to do and there's no way she would have any part of it.

"Promise me Sam – just get home safe."

"I promise you _we'll_ get home safe Colonel", she answered calmly, refusing to look at him. She felt his hand as it grabbed her arm. She could tell that it had taken everything he had just to reach out to her.

"No – Sam. I – you know I'm not going to – make it any further. Not in the shape – I am. I want you to – head back. Do – what you have – to – to get home." When she still wouldn't look at him he sighed. "That's – an order – Major", he finally said.

She did look up then, although from her expression she wasn't too happy with him. "No Sir", she replied calmly.

"Major!"

"No Sir – look, if our positions were reversed, would you leave me?"

"That's – different."

"No it isn't. You're the one who taught me that we don't leave anyone behind. I am not about to change that and I will _not_ leave you here – so you might as well save your breath. And anyway, you're in no condition to command. I'm afraid I'm in charge right now and I say we're going back together – so I suggest you just forget about it Sir and save up your strength. We have an Al'kesh to capture!"

"I – okay – ma'am. Whatever you – say." He reached out again and gently – or maybe it was weakly – grasped her wrist and squeezed. She knew it was his way of saying thank you. "So – why an Al-kesh?"

"Well, it looks like our friendly neighborhood Goa'uld -"

"Soapdish?"

"Yeah", she laughed, "Soapdish – has an Al'kesh. He's also left a bunch of people guarding the gate. So, I think the best thing for us to do is to see if we can capture the ship and make it off the planet that way!"

"Piece of – cake" he said, looking at her in wonder. He wanted to tell her no – to just hide until they were gone, to save herself but that plan had already failed and he was pretty sure she wouldn't listen to him anyway. He closed his eyes, too tired and weak and in pain to stay awake any longer. As he drifted back into a semi-conscious state he felt her fingers gently stroke his hair. He sighed deeply, enjoying her touch and the comfort it brought. Maybe she'd get them home after all.

She watched as the Colonel fell back to sleep, relieved he was able to rest but increasingly frightened by his weakness. For a brief moment she wondered if, in fact, his plan was the best. Should she try and go get help and come back to get him? She looked down into his weary, pain-wracked face and knew she had been right to say no. There is no way she was going to leave him for any reason.

So, that left how to get to the Goa'uld ship? She didn't think he could walk and she sure as hell couldn't carry him. She was strong but he was a large man. She'd probably only make it a short distance before collapsing.

The only other choice was to pull him. She could make a travois, like the American Indians had done, and pull him along. The only problem with that was it would leave her vulnerable if they were to get caught. She just wished she had a horse or dogs – or hell, if she was dreaming, a jeep and an open Gate! Unfortunately, she didn't have anything to pull the – she stopped dead. Wait a second, there _was_ someone, the Jaffa who she'd left tied up. She could make a travois and get him to pull it. It would be dangerous – he could shout to his friends and give her up – but he would know that she'd kill him if he tried. She thought about it for a while but finally decided it was the only way to make it back.

She spent the next couple of hours putting together the conveyance – using branches and strips of cloth ripped from an extra shirt. She used her jacket and the Colonels as the 'base' to lie on, threading the arms through the poles. She then laid the tarp over top of that. Finally, she was done.

Stepping back she was reasonably pleased with her effort, although she knew it wouldn't be the most comfortable means of travel. It would allow her to move O'Neill though, something that was becoming increasingly imperative.

She made her way to where she'd left the Jaffa, still wondering if this was a smart thing to do. With a small huff of breath, and a shake of her head, she approached the bound man. She knelt down and pulled off his gag.

"What do you want?' he growled.

"Your help", she answered, squatting down beside him. "I want you to help us escape."


	7. Of False Gods and Favors

The Jaffa – Kar'pal – finally 'agreed' to help her pull the Colonel. It was either that or stay tied up, without the assurance that someone would find him. Sam knew she would have to watch him like a hawk, but at least this way they could get moving. The Colonel continued to get worse and she was concerned they wouldn't make it back in time to save him.

They loaded the Colonel onto the travois – thank heavens for her grade 6 social studies class – and headed towards the Al'Kesh. She walked behind and kept her zat on the Jaffa.

"What is wrong with him", Kar'pal asked after they'd been travelling for 10 or 15 minutes. "He looks like he will die."

"No, he's not going to die", she said calmly. "He was shot by the men who were helping you."

"The men – oh, you mean the Tatari?"

"Is that what they're called? I didn't know. Who are they, anyway?"

"They are mercenaries – soldiers for hire. They are filth but we use them for work that is beneath a Jaffa."

"Are they from here?" she asked, finally getting some information.

"No, they were brought here by my Lord Sopdu."

"Why?" she asked curiously.

"Why? Because my Lord wished it, that's why", he sneered. "It does not matter woman. You will die soon, so what do you care."

"I'm sorry, but I don't plan on dying today – or in the near future. I think you're the one who should be worrying about dying!"

Kar'pal laughed. "No, it is your man who must worry. If the Tatari shot him, he is already dying. They use a slow-acting poison on their weapons. It causes increasing pain and loss of function. Soon he will go mad and then he will go quiet and finally he will die." He laughed again.

She was silent – horrified but not surprised. She'd wondered if they had put something on their arrows. "Is there an antidote?" she asked quietly, not expecting him to answer.

"An antidote? Maybe, I don't know although I wouldn't be surprised. If there is they will not give it to you", he stated calmly although somewhat breathlessly as he pulled O'Neill.

"Not even in trade?" she asked.

"Trade? You have nothing my Lord would want – and certainly nothing the Tatari would want, unless you have a large quantity of naquada or something of equal value? Or maybe you could give yourself" he said disgustingly. They haven't had a woman in a long time!"

"How about the black box?" she said, choosing to ignore his vile suggestion.

Kar'pal stopped suddenly and turned his head to look at her. "You do not know the danger you are in if you have the box", he said, sounding worried. "You must give it back to my Lord."

"Why?" she asked curiously. "What does it do?"

"It does not matter – but if you do not know what you are doing, you could destroy all."

"All what?" she asked.

"Everything – it will destroy this planet and maybe even the galaxy. It is very powerful – more powerful than a Tauri, and certainly a woman, could understand."

"Tokra!", she answered him,"I suggest you get over this 'woman' crap. I am as much a warrior as you are – better probably, since you're the one in front of my zat. I've killed my share of Jaffa and have even destroyed a System Lord or two. Oh, and we mustn't forget the _sun that I destroyed_!" Sam had had enough of chauvinistic aliens to last a lifetime. Normally she didn't brag about her abilities, but she wanted him to know who he was dealing with – and it wasn't some sweet little woman! In actual fact she really wanted to zat the guy, but then she'd be forced to pull the Colonel. She laughed to herself. As much as she'd just proclaimed her equality – or maybe even superiority – to the Jaffa, he was still better equipped to pull a heavy load.

Just then she noticed the Colonel starting to move and to groan. She told Kar'pal to stop and went to check on her Commanding Officer. "How are you doing Sir?" she asked, kneeling beside him, while keeping one eye on the Jaffa.

"Hot" he replied, turning his head back and forth. "Water?"

She got out the canteen and carefully gave him a drink, although he didn't seem to be able to handle much before he stopped her.

"What – where are we?"

"We're heading to the Al'Kesh, remember Colonel?"

"Al'Kesh – what Al'Kesh? Where are – Teal'c and – Daniel?"

"They're back on earth Sir. It's just you and me – oh, and the Jaffa."

"Jaffa?" he looked around in a panic.

"No, it's okay. He's my prisoner. Just rest Colonel. We'll be home soon and then Janet can look after you."

"NO – I – where are we? What's happening – Major?" He looked wildly about, upset and disoriented.

She sighed and did what she could to calm him down without much luck. After a few minutes however he collapsed into a semi-stupor. It worried her, but at least they were able to continue.

"He grows closer", the Jaffa laughed. "Soon it will be too late."

"Too late for what?" she asked. "You said you didn't know if there was an antidote."

"Maybe there is – or maybe not", he said. "And maybe my Lord has a sarcophagus – or not." He laughed as he continued to pull.

God – what should she do now? What if there was an antidote and the only way to save him was by finding it? Should she attempt to find the mercenaries and force it out of them? Or maybe there _was_ a sarcophagus – although she doubted it would be on the Al'Kesh. Goa'ulds didn't usually travel with them on such a small vehicle – but then again, she didn't know this Sopdu. Maybe he didn't have a mother ship. Damn – too many thoughts were running through her head. Ultimately it might be up to Janet to find a cure. She hoped her friend would be able to do it.

They continued to walk, the going slow through the dense forest. She wouldn't have known they were getting close if it wasn't for the Jaffa, who suddenly stiffened. He immediately relaxed but she'd caught the movement. Without a single qualm she shot him with the zat and he fell to the ground. She couldn't help but smirk. She'd wanted to do that for some time!

She quickly gagged him and then tied him securely before he regained consciousness. Next, she pulled him over to the side of the small trail and tied him securely to a tree. Finally, she pulled over some leaves and branches to hide him from sight. He glared at her but she just smiled.

"I bet you're surprised, aren't you", she said gently. "I'm just a weak woman! You can be glad really. If it had been anyone else they probably would have shot you twice already." She frowned for a moment. "Hmmm, maybe I should. It would save a lot of trouble!" It was only when the Jaffa looked at her, terrified, that she relented. This was unlike her – normally she wasn't this cruel. But this Jaffa had been a pain in the mitka – and she needed to take her anger and worry out on someone. "I guess I won't – but I suggest you don't' make a noise. I may have to return and get rid of you."

She returned to the Colonel and checked him carefully. He was fully unconscious and wasn't moving and his breathing was shallow and hoarse. She pulled him into the bushes on the opposite side of the trail from the Jaffa.

"I'm sorry Sir, but I'm going to have to leave you for awhile. I'm going to go and check on the Al'Kesh and on – Soapdish", she choked back a sob. God, if anything happened to the Colonel, what would she do? "Just take it easy, okay?"

"Kay – Major", his weak voice answered her.

She looked at him in surprise. "Sir, you're awake! How are you?"

"Pretty – much – like Crap – Major – but I'll – live", he said, a small smile on his face. "You go – get ole Soap – dish and then come – get me. I'll be – waiting."

"Okay Sir", she smiled, although if it was a bit wobbly neither of them was going to mention it. "Try and be as quiet as possible Colonel. I've got you hidden but any of the bad guys could be close by."

"No problem" he replied with a small wink. "A – mouse – that's me!"

She laughed softly and then did something she knew she shouldn't. She leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss on the forehead. "Keep safe." Without looking at him she stood and made her way back to the trail.

Jack stared after her for a long while, not sure what to make of that kiss. His Major had – _never_ – done anything like that before. What the hell did it mean? Probably just worried about you Jack, he rationalized. He was pretty sure that was a – a _motherly_ kind of a kiss! Sam was just worried about him. Although, with a small grin he closed his eyes and allowed himself to daydream. In his dream it hadn't been a small kiss on the head – but rather a full-blown, passionate kiss on the lips. He could almost feel it like it was a memory, not a dream. He knew he shouldn't be thinking these things – but hell, he was sick. A sick man deserved a _little_ comfort, didn't he?

What the hell had she been thinking! Why had she given the Colonel a kiss, even if it was only on the forehead? She shook her head. She was worried about him, that's why. And he'd looked so vulnerable lying there, not like the usual tough soldier that he was. For some reason his very vulnerability made her want to hold him and take care of him. She made a disgusted noise and looked ahead. She had to concentrate now and not worry about the Colonel or about the fact that she'd _kissed _him - twice.

A few seconds later and she saw the Goa'uld ship through the trees. She couldn't see anyone around, but knew that didn't mean anything. There could and probably were Jaffa protecting their System Lord.

She continued to watch for a few minutes until she was finally rewarded by the sight of one of the Jaffa – Har'nok she remembered, exited from the Al'Kesh. He walked around, looking carefully through the surrounding trees. Sam stayed totally still, knowing that any movement could give her away. After a few minutes Har'nok called out. "It is all clear my Lord although I suggest you keep your shield on. It is easy for someone to hide in the trees."

A second later the Goa'uld Sopdu exited from the craft. "Heru'ur has demanded that we capture the Tauri", he said to his Prime. "The reward will be great for us if we do, the consequences deadly if we do not", he explained. "He also informed me that if I capture one called O'Neill, my reward will double!"

"What is so special about this one my Lord", his Prime asked respectfully.

"He is the one who bested Heru'ur", he laughed, enjoying the fact that the System Lord had been beaten by a lowly Tauri. "He stabbed his hand with a knife, and destroyed Lord Heru'ur's Kara Kesh. I hear he was so angry he killed 20 of his Jaffa in revenge."

If the fact that a System Lord killed innocent Jaffa in revenge for the actions taken by one human struck his first Prime as unfair, Har'nok certainly didn't let on. Maybe it was commonplace to him. It really was a wonder, thought Sam that more Jaffa did not rebel! She wondered how many stayed out of loyalty and how many out of fear.

"Shall we return to the Gate My Lord", Har'nok spoke again.

"Yes. Hopefully the Tatari will have found the human or if not them then Tal'man or one of my other Jaffa. They had also better find the Men'ra, or things will go very badly for them!"

"What of the Al'Kesh, my Lord?"

"Put the shields on and set it for 'destroy'. If anyone attempts to break in they will never see another day."

"Yes my Lord." Har'nok entered the Al'Kesh but was gone only a few minutes. When he returned he was carrying some kind of control device. He turned a knob and a high-pitched whine started although after a couple of seconds it stopped.

"It is armed, my Lord."

"Then let us go."

Damn! What was she going to do now? She'd thought about shooting the two of them until the first Prime had mentioned Sopdu's personal shield. Stealing the Al'Kesh now seemed impossible as they'd set some kind of booby trap and she had no idea how to disable it. They'd travelled all the way here for nothing, it seemed, but there was no way she was going to be able to get the Colonel back to the Gate.

What the HELL was she to do now?

She made her way back to the Colonel, only to find him passed out again. She could tell he was still breathing though, and decided there was no point checking his temperature. He was burning up and dying and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it. She was bloody useless!

"No – luck – Sam?" His voice startled her and she wondered how he kept doing that. He continually seemed to move in and out of consciousness with little or no warning.

"I'm sorry Sir – no, no luck. They've booby trapped the Al'Kesh."

"Oh." He lay there staring at her, his eyes glazed and his face flushed with fever and tense with pain. "Always – liked – boobies", he replied a very faint grin on his face.

"Pardon Sir", she frowned. It took her a second to realize he was making a – very silly – joke. Still, only the Colonel could do something like that while dying! She couldn't help but laugh. "Very mature Sir!" she said. "You and all the other 12 year old boys."

"Hey – not just boys! Most – men – like em too."

"I'm sure they do Sir, but unfortunately, that's not going to be much help – unless they also know how to disable _this _kind of booby."

"Not – so much – fun." He said, closing his eyes. He slowly reopened them and looked at her. "Think – your – Jaffa knows how?" he asked haltingly. He didn't wait for her reply, simply closed his eyes and seemed to pass out again.

"What?" she asked. "_My_ Jaffa? I don't think – wait. Sir, you're brilliant!" She stood up suddenly, wondering how Colonel O'Neill did things like that. Although he always claimed she and Daniel were the geniuses, it was more often than not he who pulled the proverbial rabbit from the hat. He was able to think of solutions and tactics that the rest of them missed. She was pretty sure he was a genius in his own right, although she knew he'd never admit it in a million years.

She quickly made her way across the trail where she'd left _her_ Jaffa, as the Colonel had called him. He watched as she drew near, obviously with an intense desire to kill her.

"So", she said, squatting down beside him. "Do you want to stay here or would you like to help me again?" she asked. She watched him as he glared but after a few seconds he gave a sharp nod. "Okay then, here's the scoop. I need to take that Al'Kesh and get my friend to some help. Unfortunately, your people set up some kind of shield around it which will destroy it if someone tries to steal it. I need you to disable that so we can take the ship. How does that sound?"

The Jaffa shook his head furiously.

"Does that mean you can't or you won't?" she asked. Only as he shook his head again did she realize. "Well that was stupid of me, wasn't it?" She lowered his gag. "Try to scream and I shoot you. _Can_ you disable it?" she asked.

He glared at her but then nodded. "But I will not", he said. "To do so would betray my Lord", he explained.

"Yeah, and knowing your _Lord_ he'd shoot you for that, wouldn't he?" She watched the Jaffa in front of her and could tell that that was exactly what he was thinking. "Okay, then let's put it this way – either you help me disable the Al'Kesh or one of two things will happen – either you get blown up with us when I attempt to disable it – oh, don't worry, I'll make sure you're nice and close – or I'll shoot you twice – no, three times, with my zat. Not only will you be dead, but you won't be able to have a proper Jaffa funeral or go to – where is it all Jaffa want to go? Kheb isn't it? Well, I'm afraid there'll be no afterlife for you!"

She sat and watched Kar'pal, feeling sick to her stomach over what she was doing. She hated having to threaten the Jaffa – it went against everything she believed in – but she was in a desperate situation and knew she had no choice.

"And if I help you?" he finally asked.

"Then I will take you somewhere safe, where Sopdu cannot find you", she said.

"He is a god", he answered, "He can find me anywhere", he answered, although he didn't sound too confident.

"Really? If he is so all powerful and all knowing, why is it that he can't find us? Shouldn't your _God_ be able to see us Tauri and capture us without sending mercenaries and his Jaffa? And how is it that a lowly Tauri defeated Heru'ur? Or how have we killed a number of the System Lords? If they are Gods, shouldn't that be impossible?"

Kar'pal looked at her with a frightened expression on his face. This was blasphemy, as far as he knew, and he expected the wrath of his God to come and smite the Tauri woman down. When nothing happened, he looked around – confused by everything that was happening.

"Nothing has happened because _they aren't Gods,_ she explained. "They're nothing but parasites that take over a human body and use it for their own purposes. I know, I've had one of them inside me! They are _not_ Gods", she repeated. "You will be safe if you come with me. You have heard of the one named Teal'c, have you not?" she finally asked.

"The Sholva?"

"He is no Sholva", she replied. "He is a strong and courageous warrior who saw the truth about his 'so-called' God Apophis. He chose to leave him and to be free and nothing happened to him – other than the fact that he no longer serves a cruel and capricious master. He will never go back, never put himself into slavery again. Don't you think that Apophis, if truly a God, would have killed or captured Teal'c by now? How is it that he remains free and a thorn in Apophis' side?"

She stopped, hoping that she'd planted a germ in this Jaffa's mind. She had her doubts - he seemed pretty arrogant and probably was disinclined to listen to a _woman_ - so he'd probably shake his head and rid himself of all those doubts. Still, she could always hope!

"I will help you, because I have no choice", he finally said. "But you will be proved wrong."

Sam was actually surprised that he'd agreed so readily. She was even more surprised by the small note of doubt she heard in his voice. Either he'd had doubts already, and her words had added more, or he was very good at dissembling and he'd turn on her without a qualm. For her own sake, and that of the Colonel, she decided to assume that he was just waiting for the chance to turn on her and kill her.

She rolled him over onto his stomach and quickly sliced the bindings from his wrists and ankles, all the while holding the zat to his head. Once he was free she stepped back quickly and waited for the blood to return to his limbs and him to stand up.

"Shall we go", he said calmly,

She nodded, for the first time unable to read him. He was still arrogant, but no longer as hostile. She really hoped he was going to be okay and not cause her problems, but she knew that at the first sign of anything suspicious she'd zat him. She still might have to kill him, but crossed her fingers that that wouldn't happen.

When they arrived at the Al'Kesh he stopped and looked at her. "There is a force field which goes through the entire ship", he explained. "In order to turn it off you must have the control device."

"Well we don't. Are you telling me that there's nothing you can do?"

"No, there is something, but it is dangerous. If not careful I will set off the device and it will explode within seconds."

"So what do you have to do?" she wanted to know.

"I must open the outer hatch", he pointed to a point under the ship. "The master controls are there and must be disconnected. The crystals must be removed in the right order, however. I just hope that I remember what that is."

"You and me both." She gestured with the zat towards the ship. "Are you willing to try?" suddenly knowing that she couldn't force this man to do something which might kill him, even if it meant her death or that of the Colonel. Killing a man in self-defense was one thing, forcing him to blow himself up - that was completely different.

"Are you giving me a choice", the Jaffa asked, surprised.

"I – guess so. I don't want to kill you – but I will", she quickly added, "if you try anything. But if you're not sure -?"

"I will try", he said, suddenly decisive. "If you are correct and you will honor your promise to take me somewhere, then I wish to be free."

"Uh – okay", she frowned, still not convinced he was being honest. "Go ahead then, but I'll still shoot you if you do something funny."

"If I do something 'funny' you will not have to shoot me. I will die when the ship explodes."

She watched as Kar'pal made his way to the Al'Kesh. He stood staring at it intently for a few minutes and then reached up and pressed a hidden panel. A cover snapped open and she could see a myriad of crystals, of all different sizes and colors.

"You're sure you know what to do?" she asked. This reminded her suddenly of all the times the Colonel had had her do something like this. She knew how the Jaffa must be feeling.

"No, I am not sure, but I will try. If you hear a strange noise I suggest that you run", he said, not adding to her confidence.

Kar'pal slowly started removing the crystals, one by one. After removing each one, he'd pause and then set it down carefully on the ground. Sam was pretty sure she could see him sweating, although she didn't think Jaffa actually did sweat. She certainly knew she was and she wasn't even that close – although if the ship blew she was probably near enough that she'd get hurt herself, if not killed.

The Jaffa moved extremely slowly, stopping every once in a while to concentrate. Once or twice he went to pull out a crystal and at the last minute changed his mind and picked another one. Sam was pretty sure her heart had stopped for good at those points, but it always started up again.

He'd removed almost a dozen when it happened. He reached for a dark blue one and then stopped. After peering at it for a moment he reached up and grasped it and pulled. There was a pause and then suddenly, a small hum could be heard and some of the other crystals began to glow. He turned and looked at Sam, a panicked expression on his face.

"Oh Crap!" she said.


	8. Choose Not to Die

She started to turn and run, but then stopped, knowing she wouldn't get very far. She thought briefly of the Colonel, and prayed he'd be okay. She then waited.

And waited, and waited. When nothing happened she began to breathe again. Kar'pal stood, a frozen look of terror on his face. It was as his expression started to change – to one of shock and relief – that her own paralysis ended.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice slightly shaky.

"I do not know", he replied, his voice even shakier. He turned to look at the crystals and then looked back at her – an astonished expression on his face. "It worked", he said.

"It worked? You mean you turned it off?"

"Yes. The security device has been turned off. The ship is now safe." He looked again at the crystals and shook his head – astounded that he'd actually done it.

"Thank you Kar'pal!" she sighed in relief. "I thought for a minute we were both goners!"

"Gon – Oh, I understand. Yes, I too thought I would be seeing Kheb before my time." They shared a look of understanding, which only two people who had thought they were about to die could ever share. After a couple of seconds Kar'pal squared his shoulders and spoke. "Now you have a ship – what will you do?" He looked at her suspiciously, probably wondering if she'd keep her promise.

"I need to get the Col – ur, my friend – and then I'll fly us out of here. My offer still stands – I'm happy to take you somewhere safe."

"You can fly an Al'Kesh?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes, although I have more experience flying Tel'taks."

"But you are a woman!"

She sighed again, briefly closing her eyes. Just what she needed on top of everything else – a sexist Jaffa! "Yes, I'm a woman _and _I'm a warrior _and_ I'm a damn good pilot. Can we go get my friend now? Will you help me?" she asked, tired of trying to force him into anything at this point.

He stood silently, considering her seriously. Everything that had happened today, everything she'd done and everything she's said went against what he'd thought was true and was outside his experience. She could see him trying to make sense of it. She just hoped he came up with the right conclusions.

"I will help you", he finally said. "And then you will take me somewhere – free?"

"Thank you", she answered. "And yes, if we make it out of here safely I will, although first I have to get my friend to safety." She waited for him to move towards her, not wanting to hold a weapon on him but still not willing to be too trusting. He could still try and disarm her. She told him to stop before he got too close and continued to hold her zat in such a way that she could raise it quickly and shoot him if need be.

He finally grinned – the first time she'd seen him look friendly. "You truly are a warrior", he said. "You still do not trust me – and that is a good thing – a warrior would ensure that he did not let his guard down too soon."

"Or ever", she replied. "And that's _her_ guard!"

He nodded and waited for her to move before heading out to retrieve the other human.

When they arrived Jack was unconscious, although he was beginning to toss and turn. "Let's get him to the Al'Kesh quickly, she said.

"It will be easier and faster for me to carry him", Kar'pal offered. "The distance is short."

"Okay – just – be careful", she replied.

"He is important to you?"

"Yes, very important", she said honestly, although she worried that maybe she shouldn't be quite so honest. Still, it was probably pretty evident by now anyway.

"He is your lover?" he asked.

"My - ! No, he is my commanding officer."

"Oh, forgive me", he grinned again. "Do the women warriors of your world not – experience love?"

"Uh – yes, some do – but not with their commanding officers", she explained, not looking at him. For some reason the whole line of questioning was making her feel uncomfortable. "It is not allowed on our world – it is considered bad for discipline."

"But if it was not – you and he would be together", he stated. "I can tell because of the way you look at him. You feel for him", he said knowingly.

"He's – my friend, of course I feel for him", she defended. "There's nothing inappropriate about our relationship!"

"I did not say there was", he answered calmly. "I only said that you wished there _was_ a - relationship."

She refused to answer or say any more, pretty sure she risked saying the wrong thing and digging herself into a hole. They both remained quiet after that and soon arrived back at the Al'Kesh. Once they were inside, and the Colonel had been laid down gently on the floor, Sam took a closer look at her wounded friend and comrade.

His breathing was shallow and his color was grey – although his cheeks shone with an unnatural glow of red. He looked terrible and she was afraid he was nearing a point of no return. God, she had to try and make it home in time.

"You must get the antidote", her companion said, gazing at the Tauri on the floor. "He will die soon if he does not get it."

"So there _is_ an antidote?" she said, looking at him briefly.

"Yes, but the Tatari are the only ones who know of it. They refuse to share how to make it with us. One of my men was shot by a Tatari arrow and died a painful death. We tried to heal him with my Lord's – with Sopdu's healing device, but it did nothing and we do not have a sarcophagus.

She looked down again at the Colonel, and wondered what she should do. Should she take him back to earth and hope that Janet would be able to cure him, or would it be better to get the antidote here? She faced Kar'pal again. "Do you know how long he has?"

Kar'pal studied the Colonel for a few moments before replying. "I would say not long", he answered. "Maybe a day, maybe slightly longer. If he reacts like my man he will begin to go mad with pain and then the end comes quickly. By that time death is a release."

Well, she thought, that solved that question. It would take more than a day to get back to earth with an Al'Kesh. Her only choice now was to find the antidote and give it to the Colonel. How to do it was the question.

"What will you do?" Kar'pal asked.

She started, realizing that she'd totally forgotten the Jaffa for the last few moments. Stupid, stupid Sam, she scolded herself. That's a good way to get yourself and the Colonel killed! "I don't know", she confessed. "I guess I'll have to get the antidote. Are you sure the men have it?"

"Yes, I am sure", he answered. "They always keep some with them to counteract the effect of the arrows. But they will not give it to you", he said. "Not without a fight."

She slowly grinned. "If it's a fight they want then fine, they'll get one – and I have an Al'Kesh!"

He lifted his eyebrows, still thrown by this beautiful looking Tauri woman. She was much tougher than most of the Jaffa women he'd known, although he was still convinced it was mostly bravado. In a real fight, he thought, she'd show that she was weak.

"Yes", he agreed. "You have the power of a Goa'uld ship, however you will not be able to use force to obtain the antidote."

"Why not?" she asked doubtfully.

"Because – they have to make it and if you kill them they will not be able to do so."

"_Make_ it?" she asked. "I thought you said they had it with them?"

"They carry the ingredients", he said, "But they make up a fresh supply when needed. You will need their cooperation."

"Damn!" So, how was she to gain _that_? She didn't really have anything to trade – except the black box! "The box – what is it called."

"The Men'ra?"

"Yes – will they trade it for that?"

"Yes – but you must not give it to them", he answered, a worried look on his face. "It is a dangerous item."

"They had it before. Sopdu gave it to them to use so it can't be _that_ dangerous."

"He gave strict instructions as to _how_ to use it", he answered. "He also warned them that he would kill them if they lost it or harmed it."

"Well he certainly kept that promise! So, what is it about it that's so dangerous", she asked him again.

"I do not know", he answered, looking directly at her. "All I know is that Sopdu was frightened of it. He knew that it could control the gate and so gave it to the Tatari – although he didn't want to. We were aware that you had arrived – Sopdu was monitoring the gate - but we were about to leave to meet Heru'ur. So he gave the box to the Tatari and told them to keep you here until we returned. His plan was to capture you and claim the reward."

"Do you know where the box came from?" she asked, still watching the Colonel as he moved restlessly.

"He found it in a ruined city. We were travelling to our home world when we began to have trouble with the Al'Kesh. Sopdu ordered us to land on a nearby planet. When we arrived, we discovered the ruins of an ancient city. There was nothing there, but as we were about to leave Har'nok discovered the box."

"But how did you know it was dangerous? Did something happen?"

"The city we discovered was old – how old we do not know. However, sometime in the not too distant past Goa'uld had lived there and there was writing in the casket in which the box was found. It warned of great destruction if the box was opened – that _all_ would become as dust. It also told of its power to control the Gate – to keep out the 'evil ones'. When we arrived here Sopdu had Har'nok try it and it did indeed control the Gate. As for opening it – there did not appear to be an opening, but still we took the warning seriously."

Sam thought back to when the Colonel had held it and it had opened. Nothing bad had happened – so maybe it was more of a myth than anything. Still, she didn't feel right about giving it to the Tartari – it could indeed be dangerous or important. On the other hand, the Colonel's life _was_ at stake.

"Let's go", she said, moving to the pilot's seat. "We'll see what we can offer them and if that doesn't work – well, I'll just have to convince them to cooperate."

"What about my Lord – about Sopdu?" the Jaffa asked. "He will be there as well."

"Fine – I'll just deal with him if I have to. I have to get my friend the antidote."

She glanced over at Kar'pal, wondering if she should tie him up. He'd been fine for the last while, but she still didn't trust him. "Sit down", she instructed. At least she would keep her eyes on him. At that moment she heard a groan from the Colonel. Turning quickly she could see him moving even more restlessly. He was sweating and looked terrible.

"He is in pain", said Kar'pal. "It is the same as with my friend. He does not have long."

"Then let's get moving!" She fiddled with a few of the controls and in the next minute was in the air, flying towards the Gate. She knew they would arrive in minutes and tried to think what to do.

In fact, thay arrived almost immediately and she maneuvered the ship until she could see three of the Tatari standing close by the Gate. They were peering up at the ship, clearly not terribly worried.

"They believe it is Sopdu", Kar'pal informed her. "It will give you an advantage."

"Yeah, until he arrives, which could be at any moment."

"I suggest then that you do something swiftly."

She nodded and lowered the ship into the clearing behind the Gate. She watched as one of the Tatari approached. She waited until he was at the ship before opening the hatch.

"Tell him to come in!" Sam instructed the Jaffa.

"Enter!" he said loudly.

The Tatari slowly entered the Al'Kesh and looked at Kar'pal. At that moment the Colonel groaned again and the man turned swiftly and saw the injured Tauri. He turned back to Kar'pal and began to speak rapidly in his own language.

"I do not know what you are saying", Kar'pal interrupted. He pointed to Jack and gestured giving him something to drink. The Tatari frowned and spoke again.

"Give him the antidote", Kar'pal gestured again. It was only then that the Tatari turned and noticed Sam standing by the ships controls.

"Harna te Tauri!" he spoke fiercly, pointing at the woman in front of him.

"I know she is Tauri you fool", replied the Jaffa. He pointed back at the sick man on the floor. "He needs the antidote. If you do not give it to him, My Lord Sopdu will be very angry!"

That seemed to get through to the Tatari – clearly the name 'Sopdu' frightened him. He nodded and pointed outside the ship.

"I believe he is saying his friends have the antidote", Kar'pal informed her. "He will bring it."

"Do you think he can be trusted?" she asked.

"No, he is scum but he is frightened of Sopdu so as long as he thinks I am still working for him it will be fine."

After the mercenary had left, Sam stood and moved over to the Colonel. Kneeling down beside him she checked how he was doing. He made a small noise – this time more of a whimper than a groan. "God Sir, I wish there was something I could do!"

"Sam!" he gasped out. His eyes were again open, although only a crack. He groaned and wrapped his arms around himself and began to rock back and forth.

She could tell he was in real pain, especially when she saw the tears leaking from his eyes. He began taking short, sobbing breaths.

"Plee-eease" he cried. "Hurts."

She hurried over to her pack and pulled out some more pain meds, although she was pretty sure they wouldn't do much. She had to try something though – she couldn't stand watching him in such pain.

In the end she couldn't get him to take the pills and wished she had some morphine. He continued to rock back and forth, trying to find some way to alleviate the pain. "Where they hell are they?" she asked.

Just then two of the Tatari re-entered the ship. As soon as the new one saw her he began to speak – clearly not happy with what they were doing. He and his companion argued back and forth, extremely loudly, and at one point the second Tatari went to turn and leave. It was Kar'pal who stopped him.

"You will stay!" he said, stepping in front of the man. "Give him the antidote or I will get Sopdu and he will cut your heart out!" He then hit a control and closed the door, effectively keeping the men captive as well as keeping everyone else out.

While the Tatari didn't understand the words, he did recognize the name and, like his companion, his objections ceased. After a few minutes he reached into a small back tied at his waist and brought out a small vial and two tiny packages. He looked around until he found a surface on which to work and he proceeded to mix a batch of what Sam hoped was the antidote. She looked back and forth between the man and the Colonel – who was curled into a fetal position on the floor. She kept her hand on his back, trying in vain to offer some comfort.

"Teratu ne Tauri sosto!" the man proclaimed, holding up the vial. He then walked over to where the Colonel was lying and gestured towards the prone man. "Teratu!" he repeated, and handed Sam the vial.

She took it carefully, praying that this would help the Colonel. For all she knew it was poison – the man could be tricking them. She glanced over at Kar'pal, still not sure of him and hoping that he wasn't behind some plot to kill the Colonel.

It was when she heard another distressing groan from the Colonel that she knew she had no choice. Gently, carefully, she lifted moved him onto his back and lifted his head. She then put the vial to his mouth. "Colonel, you have to drink this Sir", she instructed. He turned his head away. "Sir, listen – this is an order – you have to drink this!" She held up the vial again and began to pour in the liquid. At first he didn't swallow and she was afraid he'd choke. After a couple of seconds however, he began to drink and soon had taken it all.

He started to cough which caused the pain to get worse. "S aa aa-m" he cried again, looking desperately for someone to help him. She sat and stroked his hair, hoping this would work.

It was probably only 10 or 15 minutes later when he began to calm down, although to her it felt like it had been hours. By the time 30 minutes had gone by he was resting quietly. He still had a high fever, but at least he seemed to no longer be in pain.

"He will recover", Kar'pal said. "Now it is time for us to leave before Lord - "

"TAURI!" a voice shouted from outside.

"It is my Lord Sopdu", Kar'pal stood swiftly and went to move towards the pilot's seat. Unfortunately, one of the Tatari struck him across the back of the head with his weapon and the Jaffa crashed to the floor, unconscious.

Sam had stood up immediately she'd heard Sopdu and had grabbed her zat. The second Tatari – the one who had made the antidote, drew his weapon – the same kind that had been used on the Colonel. She dove quickly to the floor and shot, just as the man released an arrow.

It 'pinged' over her head, missing her by mere millimeters. She shot again, this time hitting the mercenary. Just at that moment, however, the first Tatari had turned towards her. Seeing that she'd shot his companion, he drew out his weapon – a long handled knife – and before she had a chance to do anything he'd thrown it.

She attempted to dive out of the way but wasn't able to move in time. The knife hit her arm and she gasped as she felt it slice into the bicep on her left arm. It hurt like hell – but the pain seemed to sharpen her senses and she immediately shot back with her zat. The Tatari fell to the floor, also unconscious.

She wasn't finished however before the first man had recovered and was again pulling up his weapon. With a frustrated sigh she shot him a second time, knowing that this shot would be lethal, but also knowing there was nothing she could do.

Suddenly there was silence in the Al'Kesh – silence that only lasted a moment until she heard the door open. She turned quickly, but not quickly enough.

"You are finally mine Tauri", a deep but hollow voice said. Sopdu stood there with his first Prime Har'nok – holding a hand device on her. The third Tatari stood in behind, grinning from ear to ear.

"Drop your weapon", the Goa'uld said. "Unless you chose today to die."


	9. Shaken, Not Stirred

She'd failed. After all that – all the hiding and running and fighting – she'd failed. She didn't mind so much for herself – well okay, yes she did – but in reality she was more concerned about the Colonel. He'd put his faith in her and she'd let him down. She closed her eyes and said a silent apology. This was her fault and there was nothing she could do to fix things.

Har'nok came towards her and with an evil grin took her weapons away. He was as rough as he could be – and intentionally grabbed her cut arm. She refused to react, simply glaring at him. She knew the Colonel would never show fear or regret and she wouldn't either.

"You have given me quite the dance", the Goa'uld said. "You even had the audacity to steal my ship. For that you will suffer."

She didn't respond, knowing there was really nothing to say. She simply looked at the Goa'uld and wished that the Colonel was conscious enough to give one of his sarcastic quips. She wanted to say something like he would have done, but her mind was blank.

"I would like to be able to kill you", Sopdu continued, "but I have promised you to my Lord Heru'ur. He has offered much for the capture of any Tauri. What is your name?"

She knew very well that their 'price' would go up if this minor Goa'uld knew who he had captured. From what Kar'pal had said, Heru'ur had a real hatred for SG1 – and especially for O'Neill. "My name is Nancy Drew", she answered, "Captain Nancy Drew."

"And the man", Sopdu pointed to Colonel O'Neill.

"He is Bond", she replied. "James Bond. We're simply explorers -"

"You lie", the Goa'uld interrupted with a smile. "You are not explorers – you are soldiers, here to steal what is mine."

"Uh – steal what?" she asked. Har'nok obviously didn't like her answer because he wacked her across the back. "Ow – what did you do that for?" she turned and glared again at the Jaffa. "You're a real tough one, aren't you?"

Har'nok took a step forward, obviously wanting to really hurt her, but at a command from his master he stopped. His look promised future retribution.

"What of Kar'pal?" the Goa'uld asked his Prime.

"He is unconscious My Lord", Har'nok replied. He walked over and gently kicked the other man, who groaned and rolled over. "Are you alright Kar'pal?" he asked.

Sam worked hard to keep from reacting. Did they not know the Jaffa had helped her? If that was the case – and if Kar'pal really was on her side – this could help.

"I – I am fine my Lord", Kar'pal got slowly to his feet. He glanced at Sam but his expression didn't give anything away. "The Tauri woman shot me. I am sorry Lord Sopdu – I failed you. I tried to stop her but she tricked me."

"You will be punished Kar'pal" Sopdu informed him softly, "although if you prove your worthiness I may forgive you. For now, watch the woman carefully."

"Yes My Lord – thank you."

Okay, she thought, maybe this wouldn't go so well after all. The Jaffa was probably too frightened to try and help her now. She'd never been sure of his loyalty anyhow.

"So – I understand you have something of mine", the Goa'uld again turned his attention to the Tauri woman."

"Something of yours?" she asked, sounding innocent. "I don't think so – unless you mean this ship and you've already got it back."

"That is not what I mean – and I think you know that. No, I am speaking of something you took from the Tatari – something of mine. Har'nok" he gestured to her pack. "Look for the Men'ra."

It didn't take long before the First Prime found the little box. He picked it up carefully and took it to his Master. "Here My Lord, it appears to be unharmed."

Sopdu grinned and took the object. "Thank you Har'nok. Now we will show the other System Lords that we are something to be reckoned with. This" he held up the box, "will secure my place among them."

"What is it?" Sam asked, although she knew – sort of – what it was. She wanted to see what the Goa'uld thought he had.

"It is something more powerful than you can imagine woman", he spat. "It is something with which I can destroy your world. The System Lords will be grateful to finally rid the galaxy of the Tauri. You have been a thorn in our side for too long."

Great – he was planning to use this against earth. Now the matter was about more than her life and that of the Colonel's – it was about saving their planet. She carefully looked around to see if there was something, anything she could do. So far, nothing presented itself.

"What of the other human" Sopdu suddenly asked. "This James Bond" he pointed to the Colonel.

"He is dying My Lord", Kar'pal answered. "He was shot with the Tatari arrows and has been poisoned. I do not believe he has long to live."

Sopdu walked over and kicked the Colonel. She really hated the way these guys kept doing that. She also wished she had her P90 right then – she would have shot the bastard from here to Pluto!

The Colonel moaned in response, but was still too out of it to regain consciousness, for which she was thankful. He was looking better, although he was still obviously sick. She just hoped that the Goa'uld and his Jaffa continued to think he was dying. Maybe that way they would leave him alone. If, however, Heru'ur showed up – then her ruse would be over quickly and the Colonel would be in big trouble.

"You are sure he is dying?" Sopdu asked.

"Yes My Lord", Kar'pal answered. "He has a very short time left."

"Too bad, although if we leave now we should get to My Lord Heru'ur in time to put him in the sarcophagus. I do not want to miss out on the reward."

Har'nok bowed his head and made his way to the pilot seat. After shutting the door he adjusted the controls and soon they were airborne. Sam wondered how long they had until they reached the System Lord.

Just then she heard a noise and turned to see the remaining Tatari regain consciousness and sit up. Damn – he knew that Kar'pal had been helping her and he knew the Colonel had been given the antidote. She could see Kar'pal looking worried as he glanced surreptitiously in her direction.

The Tatari started to babble in his language and suddenly Sam wanted to laugh. He had important information – but no one could understand him. She hoped he didn't eventually get his message across or the poor Jaffa was toast – and took away any chance she and the Colonel had.

The Tatari grew frustrated and began to shout. She could tell Sopdu was getting irritated and suddenly, without warning, a zat blast hit the poor man and knocked him out. She turned her head in surprise, to see Kar'pal standing with his zat raised.

"I am sorry My Lord", he said, "but he was being disrespectful."

"That is fine Kar'pal. Put him somewhere where he can't bother me anymore. I do not want to hear his voice."

"Yes My Lord." The Jaffa reached down and slung the unconscious man over his shoulder and left the bridge. As he walked by Sam she was almost sure he winked at her. She wanted to laugh – the poor Tatari man was trying to help Sopdu and instead was being sent to the brig. Things were looking up - slightly.

At least that's what she thought until she looked over at the Goa'uld. He was staring at her, his eyes narrowed. She felt a brief moment of fear, recognizing exactly what kind of look she was getting.

There was always the danger on their missions through the Stargate of assault. Although women tended to be more in danger – as many of the cultures they came across were male-dominated – male soldiers also faced this same threat. She was fortunate, other than her one experience years ago with Turgan, she hadn't really faced that danger. For the most part the Jaffa and the Goa'uld, didn't seem to be terribly interested in women – at least not in Tauri women – or men for that matter. This Goa'uld, however, clearly had his eye on her.

"You are hurt", he said suddenly, noticing the blood dripping from her arm.

"It's nothing", she answered, "Just a scratch."

"I can heal it for you", he answered in a slimy voice.

Yeah right, she thought, in return for what?

"In fact, I can do more than heal you – I can make you a goddess." He offered.

She wanted to be sick – unsure if was he proposing to make her a Goa'uld or simply to sleep with her. Either choice made her want to vomit.

"That's okay – thanks", she said. "I've tried the whole 'goddess' thing and can't say as I liked it."

His eyes narrowed and he approached her slowly. "I do not need to ask you, woman", he answered. "I can take what I want from you."

"You'll have a fight on your hands", she answered directly.

"A fight?" he smiled. "I think not. You are but a weak woman and I am a god. There will be no fight."

"Yeah, okay, if you say so."

Without warning Sopdu held up his hand-device. Since he still had the black box, she hadn't noticed the Goa'uld weapon in his other hand. Before she had a chance to react, he'd pointed it at her head and had activated it. The pain was immense as the beam hit her. She fell to her knees, knowing now that it really was the end.

"See – there is no fight", the Goa'uld said. "You are mine to do with as I please. I will keep this on you until you _cannot_ resist and then I will take you and enjoy you until it is time to give you to Heru'ur. I am sure that he will then wish to partake of your charms. You are a very beautiful -"

The Goa'uld's words were suddenly cut off in mid sentence and the hand device stopped. She fell to the ground, only half conscious and unsure of what was going on. She heard noises – the sound of a struggle – and forced herself to open her eyes.

What she saw shocked her. She had thought that maybe Kar'pal had returned but instead it was the Colonel. Somehow he'd managed to stand and had tackled the Goa'uld. She had a brief memory of him doing the same to Hathor in just such a situation. The problem was, this time there was a second threat in the form of Har'nok.

The first Prime had seen what was happening and had quickly adjusted the controls of the ship and was rushing to the aid of his Master. Sam forced herself to get up and as Har'nok rushed past she threw herself at him.

She knew she was weak – both from blood loss but also from the hand device. Still, she knew her life and that of the Colonel was at stake. She grabbed the Jaffa around the legs as he fell and held on for dear life. He tried to shove her aside but she refused to let go and he was too close to be able to use his zat. Fortunately he didn't have his staff weapon with him.

She heard the continuing struggles of the Goa'uld and Colonel O'Neill and wondered how he was managing to fight Sopdu, as weak as he was. Just then, however, she felt Har'nok begin to get free and knew if he did that was the end.

Just as Har'nok stood up, to go to the aid of his Master, Sam heard a strange sound and saw a flash of bright light. Before she could figure out what it was, however, a bolt from a zat gun had hit her along with the First Prime, who was still next to her. Even though she felt the pain and began to lose consciousness, she wanted to grin. She could see Kar'pal standing with his zat – an apologetic look on his face.

It couldn't have been more than a minute or two before she regained consciousness. When she did it was to see her 2nd favorite Jaffa tying up the first Prime. Kar'pal looked over at her and grinned.

"I have wanted to do that for a long time", he told her.

"What – zat me?"

"No, not you", he replied, "At least not for the last little while – at first – yes. No, I meant Har'nok. He is a Chak'tra – his mother had relations with a goat", he explained the word to her, "He deserves more than to be hit with a zat'nikatel, but I did not have my staff weapon", he said, sounding disappointed.

She smiled, but then turned over suddenly – realizing that she didn't know what had happened to the Colonel. The first thing she saw was a very scruffy, white faced, grinning Colonel looking at her. It was a beautiful sight, although he still looked awful.

"Sir – you're okay?"

"Yes – Major – I'm - fine."

"Sopdu?" she asked.

"Good ole – Soapdish – I'm afraid he's uh - gone." He replied.

"Good – but where - how?"

"Your friend used the Men'ra", Kar'pal explained. "Sopdu is no more."

"He -!" She turned to look at the Colonel. "You used the box?" she asked in wonder. She glanced over and saw that it was sitting innocently beside him, looking exactly the same as it had a minute ago.

"Yeah – seemed like the – thing to do – at the time. He went to – bash me – over the head with – it so I – grabbed it. It – opened and – 'voila' – he was gone. How are you – Major?" he asked, seeming to dismiss the Men'ra.

"Me? I'm fine Sir – just a little sore."

"You'd better – bandage that – thing. You're making a mess – of our – new ship!"

"Yes Sir", she grinned happily at him. They'd won! She couldn't believe it but they'd won! She stood up – shakily – and went and retrieved her pack. She managed to pull out some bandages and quickly cleaned and tied up her arm. It hurt like crazy but she was sure it wasn't too serious. Janet would put a few stitches in it and it would be fine.

Once she was done she moved towards the Colonel and checked him over. He looked terrible. His face was bruised – both eyes black – and he still had a fever. He was obviously weak as he barely moved when she checked him over. His hair was a mess, he had a three day growth of beard – and he'd never looked better to her!

"Will I - survive Major?" he asked, only half joking.

"You will Sir. You're doing better already."

"Really? Tell that to – my body. I feel like – I've been through – a meat grinder."

"You kind of look like it too Colonel – but you _are_ getting better – and we're on our way home."

She suddenly frowned – actually, they were on their way to see Heru'ur. She'd better do something quickly about that. She stood – although it was harder than she'd thought it would be – and made her way to the pilot's seat. Kar'pal was watching her, probably wondering what she was up to.

"Har'nok was taking us to meet Heru'ur", she explained. "I need to change our course." She stood up to move to the Al'Kesh' controls.

"Uh Major?" he asked.

"Yes Sir?" She turned and looked at him.

"James Bond?" he smiled.

She grinned happily in return, realizing he'd been awake the whole time. "Well, I didn't want him to know that he had _O'Neill, Jack O'Neill – with two 'L's'_. Your price would have gone up."

He laughed and then clutched his stomach as it sent pains through his body. He weakly waved his 2IC away. "Go – fly this thing – Major."

"Yes Sir."

Jack looked up at the Jaffa who was standing silently, contemplating him. "Who are – you?" he asked. The guy looked vaguely familiar but his memory wasn't too sharp right now. The Jaffa seemed to be a friendly though – and if he wasn't Jack didn't think there was much he could do anyway.

"I am Kar'pal", the Jaffa answered. He suddenly grinned. "Formerly in the service of my Lord Sopdu but now – free!"

"Free? That's – uh good. I'll have to intro – duce you to a – friend of mine." Jack choked out. He was feeling slightly sick and decided to lay back and rest. He'd continue to let Sam take charge. She'd done a great job and he really wasn't up to leading right now.

Kar'pal looked down at the man on the floor, realizing finally who these people were. Most of the Goa'uld and Jaffa knew of the infamous SG1. "You are O'Neill", he said. "I am honored to meet you."

"Likewise", Jack answered, not really interested in a long conversation.

"And the woman", he pointed towards Sam. "She serves with you?"

"Who? Sam? Yeah – she's my – second in command."

The Jaffa raised his eyebrows and looked towards the woman who had captured him. "She is a warrior?" he said, although he didn't really need to ask.

"Oh yeah – a helluva good one. One of the – best – I've ever – worked with."

Kar'pal nodded. Yes, it was true – this _woman_ was a great warrior and he no longer felt ashamed to have been captured by her.

"Ya – gotta – watch the gorgeous – ones" Jack smirked. "They'll get ya – every time!"

Kar'pal laughed out loud. Both he and O'Neill knew that Samantha Carter was a soldier and a warrior – her looks made little difference – but they were also men and could both appreciate a good looking woman.

"You are fortunate", Kar'pal said, "to not only have such a fine comrade, but also a woman who feels for you as she does."

Jack lay there feeling incredibly uncomfortable without a clue what to say. "Uh – we're – she's my second in command, that's all", he finally got out. "There's nothing else between us."

Kar'pal laughed again. "If you choose to believe that then fine, although it is obvious that you love each other. You are a very lucky man."

Jack closed his eyes, refusing to say anymore. As he fell asleep though, he wished it were true.


	10. Rest

_**Hi all. Sorry for the delay in posting. RL is crazy as always. Add to travelling and working the search for a new house. Thanks as always to all my wonderful reviewers. I do promise to get back to you soon! :-)**_

They were on their way home. She couldn't believe it – they'd actually made it. She had been sure that they were finished – that Sopdu had won, but instead they were free and heading back to earth. It wasn't because of her though. She frowned to herself – no, she had failed in the end. It had been the Colonel who had saved them – the Colonel and Kar'pal. She'd been useless, had allowed herself to be captured and had almost gotten the Colonel killed as a result.

"Stop it Sam", O'Neill's voice interrupted her musings. "You did good", he said.

She turned to him and was relieved to see him looking a tiny bit better. He still obviously needed some of Janet's TLC – but he didn't look like he was ready to drop dead at any second. He was also looking exasperated.

"What Sir?" she frowned.

"You're – sitting there – blaming yourself", he said, sounding certain. "I know you – Major. You did great. It's – because of you – we made it so stop beating yourself – up!"

"But Colonel – you were the one who -"

"Sam, I was able to help at the end only because you – saved my hide. You got us through against terrible odds and dragging along a dying man. I'd say you should relax and just – be happy. You saved us Major. So I helped a little – that was about all I did. You did almost everything." He grinned slightly. "You had to leave something for me otherwise I'd feel – left out."

She laughed, feeling slightly better. "I wouldn't want to leave you out Sir", she responded. She moved over and knelt down beside him. She gently felt his forehead.

"How's it feel?" he asked.

"You still have a fever, but I don't think it's so bad. Janet'll hook you up to an IV and you'll be better in no time."

"I think I'd rather – go back to the – planet", he grimaced.

She grinned again, knowing how much he hated the infirmary, but also knowing that he was probably looking forward to some good pain meds and a soft bed. "Well, I _can_ turn the ship around if you'd like?"

"No, no – that's okay Major. Home is good."

As she pointed the Al'Kesh towards earth she thought back over all that had happened the last few days. Although she still felt badly about getting caught, she knew that what the Colonel had said was true. She had gotten them through a bad time and she should feel good about that. She'd have felt better if she'd been the one to defeat Sopdu, but she really couldn't begrudge the Colonel some of the action!

She looked over at Colonel O'Neill and frowned again. She was still worried about him and hated the thought of him continuing to suffer. Although she was pretty sure he was no longer in imminent danger of dying, he was still very weak and sick. He'd rallied for awhile, but for the last few hours had been in a deep sleep – at least she thought it was a sleep. She worried that he was unconscious.

"What will happen to me?" Kar'pal suddenly appeared behind her. He had been relatively quiet on the trip to earth and she'd practically forgotten him. Still, she'd promised him freedom and there was no way she was going to let anyone on earth – like the NID – get a hold of him. If she hadn't been so anxious to get the Colonel back, she would have dropped him off somewhere. However, as it was, she was going to have to take him home with her. Like a puppy, she grinned to herself.

"Please General Hammond, can I keep him? I'll look after him, really." The words spun through her brain and she had to keep from laughing. Somehow she didn't think it would be that easy to house train a Jaffa!

"I'll take you back with me to earth and introduce you to my friend Teal'c. He will tell you where you can go to be free. There are many Jaffa who are now part of the Free Jaffa – you can go to them – or if you'd rather you can go to a planet that's not under Goa'uld domination and simply live your life there."

He nodded solemnly, although she could tell he still had doubts that he'd truly be given his freedom. She worried too about some of the people on earth who would want to hold him, but promised herself she would make damn sure he was not kept from his promised freedom.

By the time they'd arrived in earth's atmosphere she was ready for a month long vacation. She felt totally drained, both physically and emotionally. She was still worried about O'Neill, and about Kar'pal – and she desperately wanted a shower and a hot meal.

She contacted the SGC as soon as she could and told them to inform the powers that be. She really didn't want to get shot down – or to have to defend herself.

"Major Carter", Hammond's voice came over the intercom.

"Yes Sir, it's me", she answered.

"It's good to hear your voice Major. Is the Colonel with you?" He asked.

"Yes Sir, he's here. He's been wounded and needs medical attention."

"How bad is he Major?" Hammond asked, worried.

"He's pretty sick Sir, although he's a bit better than he was. We almost lost him", she told him, a hitch in her voice. She still hated to think how close it had been.

"I'll have an ambulance waiting for you and we'll get him to Dr. Frasier right away."

"Thank you Sir. I also have two other passengers, a mercenary who was among the men who first attacked us – he was working for the Goa'uld and a Jaffa by the name of Kar'pal. He helped us escape the same Goa'uld. I have promised him he will be allowed to remain free."

"I see Major. Well, we'll work everything out when you're home. In the meantime, you've been cleared to land at Peterson. The ambulance will meet you as well as security and they'll bring you to the SGC. I look forward to having you back –I'm glad you're okay."

"Thank you Sir – I'm happy to be home." She signed off and let out a long breath. She could hardly wait until they were back and she could see the General and Teal'c and Daniel and Janet.

She landed the Al'Kesh on the landing strip at Petersen. She bet there were some pretty happy people right now just waiting to get their hands on the ship. She wondered what they'd say to the public who must have seen her fly in. She knew the Air Force would come up with some plausible explanation although she was pretty sure 'weather balloon' wouldn't cut it.

The General kept his promise. The moment she opened the doors she could see medics outside waiting as well as half a dozen SF's. She quickly gathered her things – including the black box. She wanted to hang on to it until it could be carefully analyzed. Once she'd given the okay the waiting medics rushed in and immediately started working on the Colonel. The SF's also boarded and waited until she gave the go ahead.

"We're to escort you Ma'am", one of them explained. She nodded, knowing it was a precaution taken be the General – in case there was a Goa'uld present – or because of the Jaffa.

"The prisoner is locked in one of the rooms in the back of the Al'Kesh. Be careful – he's a trained mercenary and he doesn't speak English.

They nodded and four of them made their way back to collect the Tatari. The other two stayed and kept their eyes on Kar'pal – as well as on her. Carter knew this was smart – and what the General would have ordered. They had no way of knowing whether or not she'd been compromised.

The medics quickly put the Colonel on a gurney and moved him to the waiting ambulance. There was another vehicle – a van – just behind it and she and Kar'pal were escorted to it. Another vehicle followed and the four SF's with a yelling Tartari, got into it. Within minutes they'd all taken off and headed to the mountain.

By the time they'd arrived, the Colonel had already been taken to the Infirmary. She knew the General would want her to report in first thing but what she really wanted to do was to check on Colonel O'Neill to make sure he was going to be okay.

"Major", General Hammond stood up as soon as she knocked on the door. Kar'pal stood beside her and the two SF's were right behind them. "Come in. It's good to have you back safely."

"Thank you Sir. It was quite an adventure!"

"I'm sure it was. I look forward to the debriefing, but right now I think you'd better go get checked out. Dr. Warner is waiting for you." He looked past Sam to the Jaffa standing there quietly. He smiled and walked towards the silent figure. "You must be Kar'pal", the General said. "I'm General Hammond, and I'm in charge of this facility. I want to thank you for helping my people. You are welcome here until we can find you a place to go."

"Thank you General Hammond", the Jaffa bowed his head. "I am honored to meet you and I thank you for allowing me to stay here."

The General turned to Sam. "Teal'c and Daniel are in the Infirmary. Why don't you take Kar'pal with you and introduce him to Teal'c. He'll be able to tell him some of his options."

"I will Sir, thank you!" Sam smiled at the General with relief and thanks. She then looked at Kar'pal. "Let's go and I'll introduce you to my favorite Jaffa!"

Kar'pal bowed his head again and Sam had to stop herself from giggling. He reminded her so much of Teal'c right then. She hoped they'd get along.

They walked down the hallways silently, both of them lost in thought. The SF's continued to follow them and Sam knew they'd remain there until everyone was sure Kar'pal was safe – and that she hadn't been taken over by an alien presence.

"Sam!" Daniel was standing outside the Infirmary and rushed to meet her. He threw his arms around her and gave her a big hug. "I'm so glad you're okay. We were worried about you, especially when we couldn't gate back to the planet. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Daniel, just a bit tired – and dirty! I could really use a shower." She noticed Teal'c at that moment, standing quietly beside Daniel. "Teal'c!" The Jaffa moved closer and gave her another big hug.

"It is good to see you safe, Major Carter", he said simply. "I too was concerned."

"Thank you Teal'c. I can't tell you how much I wished both of you were there. It was – a bit harrowing."

"But you did it Sam", Daniel said. "You both got back alive!"

"Do you know how the Colonel is doing?" she asked. "Has Janet said anything?"

"No" Daniel replied. "They took him in straight away and we haven't heard anything since then. Was he – was it bad?" he asked, a worried frown between his eyes.

"Yes", she answered softly. "We almost lost him. The men on the planet – they're called Tatari – use a form of poison on their arrows. Fortunately we were able to find the antidote – I just hope it was in time."

They all stood silently for a few brief moments, each thinking about the Colonel. It was only when Teal'c's eyebrow went up that she remembered.

"I'm sorry guys. This is Kar'pal – he was formerly a Jaffa with the Goa'uld Sopdu, but now wishes to be free. He helped us and saved our lives."

"I am honored to meet you Kar'pal", Teal'c said to the Jaffa. "And I honor you for what you have done. You have made the right decision, and I assure you, you will never regret it."

"I do not", Kar'pal answered calmly, "although I no longer know where I belong. I understand that you can tell me where I might go – and still remain free."

"I can indeed", Teal'c answered. "You now have many choices, but all of them are yours." He turned back to Sam. "With your permission Major, I will take Kar'pal to a room where he can eat and rest and I will return."

"Of course Teal'c." She turned to the Jaffa who had helped her and smiled. "I hope you've forgiven me", she asked.

"I have", he smiled slightly. "I have grown to see that you are indeed a fine warrior and that there was no shame in being captured by you." He suddenly grinned. "Although I ask that you not do it again. It would not be good for my reputation."

She smiled in return. "I won't – and I'm sure I won't need to. Take care Kar'pal and know that you have friends among the Tauri."

"Then I am indeed fortunate", Major Carter, "for you are an honorable and brave people." He turned to follow Teal'c when he stopped and looked at her again. "You made me realize that it was important to take a chance, to go after what was truly important to me. I hope that one day soon you will do the same." With that he turned and followed Teal'c.

"What did he mean?' Daniel looked at her, puzzled.

"I - uh – I'm not sure", she responded. "God – when will they tell us how the Colonel is doing?"

If Daniel recognized that she was changing the subject he didn't say anything, although he did give her a rather strange look. She could feel her face burning, but refused to think or even acknowledge the Jaffa's words. Right now all she could think about was the Colonel – and pray that he would be okay.

It was soon after these thoughts that the door opened and both Sam and Daniel turned to look at the person exiting the Infirmary.

"Janet!" Sam said, "how is he?"

"He's alive", she said wearily, "but he's weak. We're keeping an eye on him and I have him hooked up to fluids and pain medications." She stopped and looked carefully at Sam. "Has Dr. Warner seen you?" she asked.

"Uh – no – we've been waiting to hear about the Colonel."

"Well then let's get you checked out", Janet said. "You look like hell!"

Sam realized that Janet was worried, otherwise she never would have spoken that way. That in turn frightened her. She wondered if the Colonel was worse than she thought.

"Is Jack going to be alright?" Daniel asked, obviously reacting the same way to Janet's words and demeanor.

The doctor sighed. "I think so Daniel, Sam." She suddenly seemed to realize that she frightened the two people in front of her. "I'm sorry – I didn't mean to imply that he wasn't going to make it – I'm just confused by his blood work. We can't figure out what's wrong yet – but he certainly hasn't gotten any worse."

"He was poisoned, Janet – and then he received what we were told was the antidote." She sucked in a quick breath. "What am I thinking – the man with the antidote – he's here. He's being held in the brig. He should have had some of the poison on him – and maybe even the antidote. I don't know if security collected his things from the ship or not."

"Daniel?" Janet turned to the archaeologist.

"I'll check right away", he replied.

"And Daniel", Sam said. "The man – he's from a race called the Tatari – he doesn't speak English or Goa'uld. You may be able to talk to him. None of us could understand him."

Daniel smiled. "I'll find out Sam, don't worry. You just go and get yourself checked out."

"Janet", Sam complained a few minutes ago. "Shouldn't you be looking after the Colonel?" She was sitting on an examining table and Janet was checking her over. The nurse had just left with her blood tests but the Doctor was giving her a thorough going over.

"Dr. Warner is checking on Colonel O'Neill", she answered calmly. "I told him to call me if his condition changed. My staff is perfectly capable of looking after him. Until I have more details there's really nothing I can do."

"Okay", Sam said wearily, although she was still worried. She wanted to see him and sit with him because, for some reason, she felt like she had to be there to make sure he was okay.

"There, all done", Janet said, pulling off her gloves. "You need some rest and something to eat and drink, otherwise I think you're going to be just fine. Barring various scrapes and bruises – and the cut on your arm – you're not too bad. Of course I want you on base until your blood work comes back."

Janet had already disinfected and stitched the wound from the knife and, although it stung, it was feeling better. What she really wanted was a shower and something to eat and then to collapse – but not until she knew the Colonel was going to be okay.

"Sam, the Colonel is fine. We're looking after him and there's nothing you can do. The best think you _can_ do is get cleaned up, eat and rest. He's going to need all of you when he starts to recuperate, but right now he's not even conscious and won't know if you're there or not."

Sam scowled at the Doctor, hating how well she could read her. She knew what Frasier said was true, but she hated the thought of leaving him. "Okay", she finally sighed. "But promise me you'll tell me if anything changes?"

"Of course Sam. Just go get cleaned up – you'll feel a lot better. After you've eaten and slept for a few hours - at least - you can come back. And I'm sure that Daniel and Teal'c will be here shortly as well. They'll watch out for the Colonel."

As Sam made her way to the showers she couldn't help but feel that Daniel and Teal'c – although they cared for the Colonel – weren't really a substitute. _She_ was the one who lo- she stopped. Where the hell had _that_ come from? She shook her head and kept on walking. She was just over tired and her emotions were getting the better of her.

It felt like she'd only been asleep for a few minutes when someone started shaking her awake. She kept hearing her name and finally opened her eyes. "What?" she asked, sounding peeved. She really didn't want to wake up.

"Sam, come on", Daniel said. He was standing over her looking at her in concern. "I couldn't wake you up and I thought you'd want to know."

"Know what?" she said, waking up fully and sitting up, her legs over the side of the bed. "What's happened?"

Daniel grinned. "Well, I was able to speak with Bartomeh – he's the Tatari you captured. I got a hold of the poison _and _the antidote. He explained how the antidote was made – after I promised him we wouldn't execute him. I gave it to Janet and she's been able to use it to treat the Colonel. She figured he just needed some more of the antidote because he'd been suffering the symptoms for so long. He's starting to do better."

"Oh thank God!" she said, heaving a relieved breath. "Is he awake?"

"He woke up very briefly but went right back to sleep. He asked about you and Janet told him she'd made you rest. He muttered 'good' and fell right back to sleep." Her friend grinned. "He is looking better Sam, although Janet says he has a long recuperation ahead of him. She doesn't think there'll be any lasting effects from the poison, but it did mess up his system pretty badly. He's going to have to stay here for a while so Janet can monitor him closely. I guess his kidneys and liver almost hit the dust but they're on their way back. She said that if he hadn't gotten the antidote when he did, the first time, he wouldn't have made it. I guess it's a pretty bad poison although relatively slow-acting."

"Yeah, it was. I thought for a while he wasn't going to make it." She suddenly stopped and looked at Daniel. "Did you say you promised not to _execute_ the Tatari in return for the antidote?"

"Yup", Daniel answered, looking pleased.

"Did you _threaten_ him with execution?"

"Who me? Sam, you know me better than that. I didn't say anything about execution – he just assumed that's what we'd do. I guess it was based on his experience with the Goa'uld. I think he still worries that we're going to kill him."

"What _are _we going to do with him?" She asked. It wasn't as if they could put him in an earth prison.

"Well, General Hammond has already figured that out. He got in touch with the Tokra and asked them. It turns out they know of the Tatari and have come across them a number of times. They've offered to take him to a world with a number of Tatari refugees. There's no gate there, and none of the people have access to space ships, so he should be fine."

"Good – I didn't really want to have to worry about him." She stood up. "Can we go see the Colonel now?"

"Yes, of course", he answered. "Teal'c is sitting with him but I told Janet I would come and get you."

"How long was I out?" she asked suddenly, not having any idea of the time.

"Uh, about eight hours", Daniel replied.

"_Eight hours!_"

"Yeah, you were exhausted. You're looking a bit better now."

"Only a bit?' she frowned at him as they walked down the hall towards the Infirmary.

"Well", he grinned, "you do look a bit – tousled!"

"_What!_ And you didn't tell me?" She stopped and tried to comb her hair with her fingers and rearrange her clothes. She hadn't even bothered to put on pajamas she'd been so tired.

"You look cute Sam – and I'm sure Jack will think so too." Daniel's eyes grew big when he saw Sam's face go totally red at his comment. He wondered what in the world that was about.

They'd arrived at the Infirmary before Sam thought to ask about Kar'pal. Daniel had said Teal'c was with the Colonel, so where was the Jaffa? She'd have to ask later. Right now she wanted to see the Colonel.

She entered the room quietly, although Teal'c immediately turned his head and smiled at her.

"He is doing well", he said softly. "He sleeps right now but Dr. Frasier says he is getting better."

She smiled at her friend and approached the bed. Colonel O'Neill looked like he was sleeping peacefully – for the first time in days. She could feel her shoulders relax – she finally believed he was going to be okay.

He still looked bruised and battered – his eyes were black and he had various cuts and scratches and he was hooked up to all sorts of monitors and tubes. Still, the lines of tension and pain around his eyes had smoothed out –finally – and he was breathing deeply.

It took her a second before she realized that his eyes had opened and he was looking at her. It seemed so natural, so _normal_ that she didn't even blink.

"Howya doin' Major?" his soft voice finally penetrated her abstraction.

"Sir! You're awake!"

"I think so – unless this is another dream." He frowned slightly – It's nice but not as nice as the last one."

"Huh?" She looked at him, puzzled. "What dream was that Sir?" asked.

"The one where you kissed me Major", he answered softly.

She could feel herself blush again – not just because of his words, but because she knew it _wasn't_ a dream. He was remembering the _kiss,_ she realized and felt terribly embarrassed. What if he figured out it had been real?

"I'm sorry Major", his voice broke into her thoughts. "That was – inappropriate", he mumbled, although he didn't look terribly repentant. "It's the drugs talking."

"That's okay Sir", she answered, after a slight pause. "I'm just glad you had – pleasant dreams. It was a rough trip for you."

"Yeah, you could say that again", he winced. "Can't say as I want to go through that anytime soon." He suddenly seemed to notice that he and Sam weren't alone. "Hey Danny, Teal'c, how you guys doing?"

"We are fine O'Neill. It was you we were worried about."

"Nah – you know me. I'm as tough as nails. Nothing can keep me down for long."

"Except a couple of poisoned arrows Jack", Daniel chimed in. "You almost didn't make it this time, you know."

"Yeah, I know. Carter here brought my sorry hide home. She's a good person to have around when you've been kidnapped and shot", he turned and smiled at her again. "She's also one tough soldier. You should have seen her with - what was his name – the Karpet guy?"

"That's Kar'pal Sir", she grinned. "Poor guy, he had quite a problem with getting captured by a woman."

"Indeed Major Carter. Jaffa are not used to women warriors. He confided in me however, that you were very strong and brave. You can be very proud. It is not many Jaffa who would admit to having such respect for a woman. I have gotten to know you and know that you are a true warrior. Kar'pal now knows that as well."

"Yes, well, I'm glad because I was really ready to zat him twice after he kept making sarcastic comments about women."

"Indeed", Teal'c bowed his head.

"So kids, how long until I can leave this place?" O'Neill said, attempting to sound cheery, although she noticed he was getting tired again.

"Janet says you have to stay for awhile until everything is working properly again Jack", Daniel told him.

"Everything's working just fine", O'Neill said with a frown.

"Really", answered Daniel. "So all those tubes -"

"Hey – not my idea! I'm perfectly capable of peeing on my own. It's the power-monger who won't let me!"

"I think she needs to monitor your kidneys Sir", Sam said with a small smile. "But I'm sure you'll be out of here soon. She won't want to keep you longer than necessary."

"You can say that again!" Daniel piped up.

Jack looked at him, his eyes narrowed. "What does that mean Jackson?" he asked ominously.

"Oh, nothing – just that I'm sure she wants you to be up and around again soon – you know, for your own sake."

"Yeah, right!" Jack snorted.

Sam noticed that the Colonel was having trouble keeping his eyes open so she decided it was time to leave him in peace. "I think we should let the Colonel sleep", she said. "The more you can rest Sir, the sooner you can get out of here."

He nodded, knowing that she was right and also he was having trouble keeping his eyes open. As his three friends went to leave he called out softly. "Sam?"

She turned, a question on her face. "Yes Sir?"

"Uh – could you – maybe you could stay for a bit?" he asked tentatively.

Sam knew how hard it was for the Colonel to ask anything – or admit he needed anything – from his friends. She looked into his face and could tell he was embarrassed – but also that he really wanted the company.

Speaking calmly she answered. "Of course Sir, I'd be glad to." Glancing briefly at Daniel and Teal'c she indicated she would stay. They both knew what the Colonel had gone through – and how important friends were to help one deal with those kinds of things. They both smiled and then left quietly as Sam settled down in the chair beside the Colonel's bed.

"Just close your eyes and sleep Sir", she said softly. "I'll be right here."

He gave a slight nod and closed his eyes. She watched as he began to relax, but then saw his hand searching for something. Slightly hesitant, she nonetheless reached out and put her hand over top of his. He turned it until she was clasping his hand gently. Within moments his breathing had evened out and he was asleep. Even in sleep, however, his hand held on to hers.


	11. Blessings and Alien Doohickeys

_**Sigh - all I seem to do is apoligize to you my readers! I am sorry for not updating more frequently as I really hate leaving a story (or stories) hanging. I also meant this to be the last chapter, but my muse took over and forced me to keep going. I hope you are all okay with this one continuing a bit.**_

**_Thanks as always for the kind words from my readers. Reviews help me when life is hectic and writing is hard - so please, keep them coming!_**

"Colonel O'Neill!"

Sam and Daniel looked at each other and grinned. They could hear Janet's voice carrying throughout the Infirmary, calling for the Colonel.

"Where is that man", she muttered, not even noticing the two new arrivals as they stepped into the room. "I'm going to kill him!"

"Hi Janet", Sam called. She grinned again when the Doctor jumped and looked at her, an expression of extreme frustration on her face.

"Oh, Hi Sam, Daniel. Have you seen Colonel O'Neill?" she asked.

"No, isn't he here?" Sam asked. She glanced around the room as if he could be hiding somewhere.

"Drat! No, he's gone. I told him he could get out of bed for a few minutes and the next thing I know he's totally absconded. He's not well enough to be running around the base. I only told him he could sit in a chair for a bit until the nurse came to give him his bath."

"Well that explains it", exclaimed Daniel. "You know Jack – he hates having to take bed baths."

Janet sighed. "I know and I get the fact that he's been stuck in here for too long. But he's been very sick and I had to make he was well on the road to recovery before letting him go. I've only just –" she stopped speaking, looking suddenly guilty for being about the reveal patient information. "Could you two go and find him for me? I can't leave the Infirmary right now as I have other patients to look after."

"Sure Janet", Sam grinned again, as the Doctor walked away muttering under her breath. "We'd better bring him back quickly or Janet's going to have his liver for breakfast!"

"Ooh – that's disgusting", answered Daniel as he followed her out of the room. "Where do you think he's gone?"

"Probably to see Teal'c or to the cafeteria to get something to eat", she said. "Why don't you check Teal'c's room and I'll look to see if he's in the cafeteria."

"Sure – you might want to check out Siler's work room as well. He could be hiding there."

"Good thought. I'll meet you back here in 20 minutes if I don't find him."

The two friends split up and went in search of their errant leader. As much as they enjoyed watching the constant dance between the Colonel and Dr. Frasier, both of them knew that she was right. He really wasn't up to wandering around too far. Up until the day before he'd still been hooked up to most of the wires and tubes. Although he was getting better day by day, he was still weak and in some pain.

Sam frowned as she thought about her CO. The poison had done a real number on him and she knew Janet was still worried. He wasn't snapping back as quickly as he usually did and she knew the Doctor was concerned there'd been some permanent damage.

The Colonel himself seemed to be relatively happy – or at least as happy as he ever was in the Infirmary. If he was worried that he wasn't getting better, he hid it well. She snorted to herself – the Colonel _always_ hid things well – at least anything about how he was really feeling. She had a suspicion that his 'grand escape' today was one way he had of dealing with the uncertainty of his condition – and a way of proving to Janet that he was really alright.

She didn't find him in the Cafeteria, although Sergeant Jimenez, who was behind the counter, told her that the Colonel had been in. "He came in and grabbed a slice of cake Major", he told her. "He said he was going to go eat it where – uh – "

"Where?"

"Where the Doctor couldn't find him, Ma'am," he answered.

She could tell from his hesitation that Colonel O'Neill had probably used more colorful language to describe Dr. Frasier. She thanked the Sergeant and headed out, hoping he'd gone to Teal'c's room and that Daniel had already found him.

She checked Siler's work room first, just to be on the safe side, but he wasn't there and Siler hadn't seen him. She thought for a moment and decided to look in one more spot, although she doubted he'd be there.

When she arrived at his office she paused and then reached out and knocked. After waiting and knocking again, she decided to open the door and look inside.

The room was dark, and she was about to close the door and leave, when she heard a soft voice.

"Major", the Colonel said.

Surprised, she opened the door wider and flipped on the light, only to see him sitting on the floor, his back leaning up against the wall. "Are you alright Sir", she said, rushing over to him and kneeling down. He was white and there was a sheen of sweat on his face. "Sir?" she asked again.

"I'm fine Major", he lied. "Just felt like a rest."

"Yes, I can see that Sir", she said. "Maybe I should call the Infirmary and have someone bring a gurn -"

"I am _not_ being wheeled out of here Major", he interrupted. "Just give me a minute and I'll get up and we can go back. I'm sure Janet's mad as fire at me."

"Yes Sir, I'd say she was and the longer you take to get back the worse she's going to be."

The Colonel grimaced, knowing he was in big trouble. He'd be lucky if he didn't hear something from the General about his little adventure. He'd known it was stupid, right from the moment he'd stood up and walked out of his room. It's just that he was about to go crazy, cooped up in the small, dark room. And then, having one of Janet's nurses give him a damn bed bath was the worst humiliation of all.

Besides all that, he hated the fact that he still felt so weak and sick. He had expected to be better by now. It had been two weeks since they'd gotten back and he'd hoped to be up and around after a few days. Instead, he'd been bed ridden the entire time.

"I'm sorry Major", he suddenly said, realizing that he'd probably worried his teammates. He really hadn't meant to be gone for so long – it's just he'd gotten so dreadfully tired and his office had been closer than the Infirmary.

"That's okay Sir", she replied softly. "I know it's hard to be stuck in the Infirmary for all this time. I don't blame you for wanting to get out."

"No, but Janet will!" he said.

"Yes, she will – so next time you'd better get Daniel or Teal'c or me to help you so you won't get caught!"

He looked up at her in surprise and couldn't help returning her grin. God he – cared for this woman! "Help me up Major", he finally said. Normally he wouldn't have wanted to show such weakness, but Sam had seen him in even worse shape. Besides that, she'd probably whip his butt if he tried any more asinine stunts.

She stood up and then reached down and helped him stand. He stumbled when he got up and she had to steady him but didn't say anything, knowing how much he hated feeling helpless. "Are you sure you can make it back okay Sir", she asked. "I can run and get a wheelchair."

"Over my dead body Carter", he growled. "Just give me your arm and I'll do just fine."

It took a while before they arrived back in Janet's domain, and by that time the Colonel was sweating freely from the exertion. He was also looking even paler than ever. It was probably that very thing that kept him from getting a tongue lashing from the Doctor. She took one look at him and didn't say a word. She just took over from Sam and led him to bed. Once he was safely tucked in she went and got two pills and a glass of water.

"Here", she said, handing him the small cup with the pills. He took them without argument and downed them quickly, not even bothering to ask what they were. He was smart enough to know when total retreat was in order.

Janet spent the next couple of minutes checking out his vital signs, again without saying a word. Sam watched from the back of the room and could tell that the Colonel was starting to get a bit freaked out. A raging Janet, a bossy Janet, even a sarcastic Janet he could handle – a silent, disappointed Janet was hard for even O'Neill to take.

"I'm sorry Janet", he finally gave in and apologized. "I really didn't mean to – I just – I was feeling so _trapped_", he explained. "I needed to feel – free – just for a bit. I didn't mean to be gone for so long."

Sam shook her head as she saw the good Doctor crumble. Janet would have stood her ground and given the Colonel hell if he'd tried to justify his actions. His sincere apology – said in a voice which he rarely used, but showed his vulnerability – touched the very soft part of Janet's heart.

"I understand Sir", she answered gently. "I know this is hard for you and I'm trying to get you healthy enough so you can go home. For now you need to be here, okay?"

"Okay", he answered seriously. He knew when he was beat.

Suddenly Sam could see the fire in Janet's eyes and knew what was coming.

"And if you _ever_ do something like that again I'll –"

"You'll - ?" O'Neill looked at her askance.

"I'll make sure you have to wear the _short_ hospital gown _and_ I'll tell my nurses to give you a _daily_ bath!"

His eyes got big and he looked terrified – although Sam could see the twinkle in his eye. "Not the _short_ ones Doc!"

"Yes Colonel the _very_ short ones."

"But – "

"Exactly!" she answered. "And my nurses will enjoy looking at it!"

Sam couldn't help but giggle, picturing the Colonel walking around with his – backside – hanging out. Actually, she thought to herself, she'd quite like to see that!

By the time Janet was finished, O'Neill was almost asleep. Janet patted his arm gently and turned towards Sam. "He should sleep for awhile. I gave him some pain meds and a mild sedative. I expect his little jaunt has exhausted him."

"He'll be okay though won't he?"

"Yes, he'll be fine. If anything I think the walk about may have done him some good. He hasn't been resting well and I think some of that has to do with his enforced bed rest. The Colonel doesn't do well confined to small spaces." Janet stopped, seeming to realize she'd said too much. "I have to go check on some of my well-behaved patients. Stay if you want, just make sure and let him rest."

"I will Janet", she replied, pulling up a chair and sitting next to the Colonel. She was surprised to find him still awake, although well on the way to slumberland.

"Thanks Sam", he said softly.

"For what Sir?" she asked.

"For saving my butt again", he replied.

She smiled. "Well Sir – that's the least I could do – although speaking of butts - I kinda wish -"

"Wish what Major?" he asked, waking up a bit.

"Oh, just that I could see you in that little bitty hospital gown."

His eyes opened wide at that, as did his mouth. He had no idea how to answer his 2IC after such a comment so he simply gave up, closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift off to sleep.

Sam was embarrassed, unable to believe she'd said that – although she knew it had been worth it when she saw the small smile on the Colonel's face. Even long after he'd fallen asleep it remained. What it meant exactly, she didn't know – all she _did_ know, was that she felt very warm inside.

It was another few days before Janet declared the Colonel well enough to go home, but only under the condition that someone stayed with him. As much as Sam would have liked it to be her, she knew that would cause tongues to wag. So instead Daniel had volunteered to stay.

"Are you _sure_ Daniel?", Sam asked, awed at his self-sacrifice. They all knew what the Colonel was like when he felt he was forced to have what he called a 'babysitter'.

"I'm sure Sam. Actually, he's been pretty good and I brought earphones in case he starts bugging me too much."

"Okay, if you're sure. I'll come over and help out as much as I can and I'm sure Teal'c will as well."

"Oh yes – both of you are definitely going to help on this one. There's no way I'm taking total responsibility for a crabby Jack O'Neill."

"I'm _not_ crabby Daniel", Jack said, coming up silently behind his team. He'd been let go from the Infirmary and was on his way to the briefing room. Although Sam had told the General her side of the mission, they hadn't yet had an official debriefing since Jack had been in the hospital.

"Not yet you're not", Daniel said calmly. "You will be."

"I will not!" Jack glared at the younger man. "I never get crabby."

He heard a disbelieving 'snort' and turned quickly to Major Carter. She was standing totally quiet, without expression. He narrowed his eyes at her, suspecting her innocent face was hiding a multitude of sins. "What? You think I get crabby Carter?" he asked. He hated to admit it, but he enjoyed bugging her. There was nothing quite like putting your subordinate on the spot – especially when she was as brilliant as Sam.

"Yes Sir", she answered, without a blink of an eye. "Very crabby", she expanded.

"And here I thought I could count on you", he said, pretending to be hurt. "I thought you were the _one_ person who would defend me, even if no one else did!"

"Uh sorry Sir. I'll defend you from Jaffa and aliens with poison arrows – but I really can't lie for you", she said with a grin. "Anyway, I'm afraid in this case it will be Daniel who needs defending."

"Geesh!" he shook his head, turned and walked towards the Briefing room. The rest of his team could hear him muttering something about 'betrayal' and 'over-sensitive archaeologists' all the way down the hall.

Sam turned to Daniel and grinned. Yup – the Colonel was definitely on his way back.

"All right people", General Hammond said as he entered the room. "Let's get this over with. Colonel, it's good to see you up and around."

"It's good to be both up _and_ around Sir", Jack answered, "although I would like to put in a formal complaint about my team – for slander Sir."

"Really?" the General looked amused and glanced briefly around the table. "And how have they slandered you Colonel?"

"Uh – we called him crabby Sir", Daniel responded. "You know how he gets when he's recuperating."

Hammond faced the Colonel. "I'm afraid he's right son. I really don't think you have a leg to stand on here. Dr. Jackson only spoke the truth, so that's not slander."

"Et tu, General Hammond?" Jack asked, sounding pathetic. He sighed heavily. "I guess I can always go and live with Thor", he said. "He thinks I'm the next step in human evolution!"

"Doesn't mean you're not crabby", interjected Daniel.

"All right everyone", the General laughed. "I think we'd better get to the debriefing. I've already received a complete report from you Major, so it's really Colonel O'Neill that I'd like to hear from – at least about your mission. Then I'd like a report from you Major on the box you brought back."

"Yes Sir", Sam answered.

O'Neill sighed again, but dutifully began to recite his experience on the planet. From the point he'd been captured, until they'd arrived back on earth, his account was sketchy. Much of the time he'd been too ill, or unconscious to really know what was going on.

"One thing I do know though Sir, and that's if it hadn't have been for Carter, I wouldn't be here" he narrowed his eyes at Daniel "and then I wouldn't have the chance to be _crabby _ - if I was going to be, which I'm not!"

"I agree Colonel", the General replied. "Major Carter's actions clearly saved your life, resulted in another Jaffa joining the fight against the Goa'uld and allowed us to obtain an Al'Kesh – something which has created great joy in Area 51 by the way. Your courage, fortitude and quick thinking have been noted in your file Major."

"Thank you Sir", Sam said, looking slightly flushed. Jack looked at her with pride. She was part of his team – and he was as proud as – he stopped that thought – no way was he going to compare himself to her father. He was just damned proud! He was also going to put her up for a medal. He'd already spoken to Hammond about it and he'd agreed.

"So Colonel, that's all you can remember", the General got back to the mission.

"Uh – ye – es" he bit his lip briefly. "Except for the box – I do remember it."

"The box? What do you remember?" Hammond asked, although he'd heard most of the story from Major Carter.

"Well, I was fighting the Goa'uld – old 'Soapdish' and – uh – he was getting the upper hand. I was too weak to do much. Somehow though I touched the damned box and he just – disappeared", Jack said, looking puzzled. He'd tried many times to figure it out, with no luck.

"Disappeared? Do you think you sent him somewhere?" Sam looked surprised at that – she hadn't even considered that possibility, simply assuming that Sopdu was dead.

"Nooo – at least I don't think so. I don't know how I know, but I'm pretty sure he's – kaput, gone, finished, defunct."

"Do you have any idea then what the box did to make him – uh – disappear?"

"No Sir – except – well, while we were fighting I pretty much figured I was toast. He was about ready to knock me to kingdom come, when I suddenly wished he'd just – you know – kind of – disappear – and he did."

"Are you saying _you_ did it? You were the one who made him disappear?" The General looked astounded, and slightly worried.

"No General – it was the box. It opened just as I thought that and there was a flash of light – and he was gone. The box definitely got rid of him."

"But Sir", Sam frowned, "Do you think it somehow read your thoughts or responds to your wishes?"

He shrugged lightly. He had no idea – but he did know he didn't want to have anything to do with it. Wait a second, he thought. He glanced at Sam and smiled slightly. What if he asked the Box for Cart – _down Jack_! You're going to get in trouble thinking things like this! Still – it was an intriguing thought."

"From what I understand Jack, the box somehow responds to you. Any idea why?" General Hammond wanted to know.

"No Sir, none." He smiled slightly. "I told Carter it was my magnetic personality."

The General laughed. "You could be right Colonel! Any thoughts Major? What have you been able to find out about it?"

"Well Sir", she said, running her hands through her hair in frustration, "I'm afraid not much, other than the fact that it only seems to respond to the Colonel. I haven't been able to get it open or to see inside. In a way it reminds me of the orb we brought back a few years ago that pinned the Colonel to the wall -"

"Don't tell me that Major", Jack looked slightly panicked. "Could this thing be, you know, another 'orb of death'?" He looked at the General. "I suggest we get rid of it Sir. It could be too dangerous to keep around."

"I've checked it over carefully Colonel and haven't found anything that looks as if it's dangerous."

"Major – you didn't find anything on the damn orb either – and I spent a day hanging like a damned bug stuck to a wall. The damned alien things seem to like me for some reason. Besides that, it totally _disintegrated_ a human being. I'd say that was dangerous."

"Yes Sir", she answered, looking slightly abashed. "It's just that it hasn't done anything at all since we've returned. We're keeping it in a lead-lined vault with every possible precaution. And as far as disintegrating things, so do zats!"

"Okay, so that's true – but still,", Jack replied. "It's _alien_. You can never trust those alien doohickeys."

"Uh Jack", Daniel finally spoke up. "I understand how you feel but we've had lots of alien – uh - objects and most of them haven't been a problem. In fact, a lot of them have been helpful."

"Really? Anyone remember the X-301? I almost got to see the Oort cloud _up close and personal_! And then there were the lovely nanites from Argos – I'm much too young to have problems with my prostate. Oh, and let's not forget that damned light that we were all addicted to. Carter and I almost came to blows over it!"

"Really?" Daniel looked intrigued. "I didn't know that. What about?"

"It doesn't matter" Jack answered, looking a little uncomfortable, "because, as I was _saying_ we've come across all sorts of alien technology that we would have done much better to leave alone. I mean, what about that entity thing that got Carter, or my personal favorite, the damn machine that grabbed us and made us relive some of the worst moments of our life - "

"I hear what you're saying Jack", the General interrupted, "and I agree that we have to be extremely carefully. However, I believe Major Carter _is _being extremely careful. And you know as well as I do that one of our mission objectives is to find technology that could assist us in defeating the Goa'uld. From what Major Carter has described, and what you just told us, this could be it."

Jack sat silently, knowing what the General was saying was true. And the fact was that normally he was the first to want to find some kind of honkin' space gun. This time, however, he had the creeps. There was something about that damned box that was – sinister. He didn't like it and didn't want it anywhere near him or earth – or Carter. Maybe it was just because he worried that he'd _thought_ it into killing that was bothering him. Whatever it was though, he wanted it gone.

"Sir", Carter looked at General Hammond. "I've had requests from Area 51 to send the object to them. They want to examine it -"

"NO!" Jack sat up straight. "No way Sir. You can't let it out of here. It's too dangerous!"

"But I thought you _did_ want it gone Colonel?" The General asked impatiently.

"I want it off earth Sir – not sent to those idiots at Area 51. They'll end up taking a jackhammer to it and next thing you know – 'poof' – earth is gone."

"Do you believe this thing has the potential to destroy the planet Colonel, Major?" Hammond looked at the two of them, his voice suddenly laced with concern.

"I don't know Sir – that's what the Goa'uld believed." Carter replied.

"And that's not all Sir", Jack threw in. "We know it can turn the gate off and on and it can kill people instantly. We have no idea what else it can do and I for one don't want to find out."

"There was writing on it as well, wasn't there?" Hammond said. Looking at Daniel he asked, "were you able to decipher the words Dr. Jackson?"

"Uh yes General, although they don't mean much." He picked up his notes and fumbling around for a second he pushed his glasses up and read: "The one who is blessed will hold the Men'ra" he looked up – "uh, the box – and will open the door to the universe. Let not the wicked hold sway, let not the evil one release that which is within. He shall be damned and will bring the judgment of the wise and bring all to an end."

There was silence at the table until finally the General took a deep breath. "So, any idea what all that means?"

"Not really Sir", Daniel responded, "Although it's clearly a warning not to open the thing unless you're this 'blessed one'" At that all eyes turned towards Jack.

"What?" he looked back and forth between his teammates and the General. "What?" he repeated. "Don't look at me – I'm not the damned 'blessed one'."

"I didn't say you were Jack, although if the shoe fits - ?"

"It isn't a shoe – it's a damned _box_ – and I'm still not this guy! Any anyway – the Goa'uld could control the gate with it, it's not just me!"

"You're right Sir – that's the one thing we seem to do. The outside controls allow us to jam the gate – but that's all we can figure out."

"Why didn't you say that before?" he snarked. Clearly the Colonel was feeling uncomfortable. "So – that could easily mean that any one of you are this blessed one person. I probably just held it at the right time or at the right angle."

Again there was silence, although there were also a few skeptical eyebrows raised. Teal'c had said nothing so far, but finally he spoke. "O'Neill, there is no shame in being the person who can operate the device. As long as you are not this 'evil one' you should have no fear."

"Gee, thanks Buddy. Now I have to worry that I may be evil – on top of being blessed and crabby."

"Jack – just forget that I called you crabby, okay? I promise not to mention it again!"

"Huh! Too late Jackson – it's already out there!" Jack glared at his friend.

Daniel sighed and looked to Sam for help. She simply grinned, enjoying the – the normalcy of the whole meeting. She snorted softly when she realized that a discussion about potentially deadly alien technology was something she considered _normal_! It was just that it was so great to see the old Colonel O'Neill. She'd been so worried about him.

Suddenly though she looked closely at him and realized that he was looking tired. As much as he sounded like his old self he _had_ just been released from the Infirmary. He needed to go home and go to bed.

"So Major, what is your recommendation on the box?" The General decided to end the meeting. He too had noticed how tired his Second in Command was looking.

"I think it needs more testing Sir", Sam said, "but I agree with Colonel O'Neill that we should be extremely careful. I was thinking the best thing to do might be to take it off world for further tests. That way if there is a problem we won't put the SGC – or earth for that matter – in danger."

"Unless it destroys the whole universe, like the Goa'uld said!" Jack muttered.

"I think that's highly unlikely Sir – not from something that small!"

The Colonel 'harumphed' but didn't say anything more. The truth was he could barely think he was feeling so tired. He really wanted to go home and collapse into bed.

"I think that sounds like an excellent idea Major", the General agreed. "For now let's leave it locked up. As soon as the Colonel is on his feet again, I'll have SG1 take a trip to the Alpha site where you can carry out further tests."

"Thank you Sir", Sam replied. Daniel nodded, as did Teal'c. Jack sat quietly, staring at the table in front of him.

The other occupants of the room all looked at each other and, with a nod from General Hammond, stood up.

"Dismissed people. Jack, you go on home and take it easy. You're not to do anything until Dr. Frasier gives the go ahead."

"Thank you Sir", Jack stood up, although he had to brace himself on the table. He waited until the General had left and then slowly made his way to the door. He was so tired he didn't even notice how close his team stuck to him, ready in case he needed them.

"I'll drive you home Jack", Daniel offered. He knew that Jack was exhausted by the fact that the other man simply nodded in acceptance.

"I'll stop by later Sir", Sam offered.

"Kay Major", he answered softly. He then seemed to pull himself together and he turned to his companions. "I'm just tired", he explained, knowing they were probably all worrying about him. "A good nap and then some spicy Mexican or Thai food – and I'll be fine."

"Okay Colonel", Sam patted his arm. "Teal'c and I will bring the dinner."

"Don't forget the beer Major!" Jack smiled, knowing that Janet had strictly prohibited it – and had made sure that all his team knew that.

"Uh – I'll bring the beer Sir – root beer."

"You're a cruel woman Sam", he said.

"I know Colonel – but it's for your own good."

"Famous last words", he murmured, as he entered the elevator.

The last picture she had was of a very tired – but alive – Colonel. She just wished she was the one taking him home.


	12. Remembering

_**A short, fluffy S/J chapter – although a little more adventure to come.**_

"Oh thank God!" Daniel said when he opened the door and saw Sam standing there. "You've got to save me!" He practically dragged her into the house and down the hall.

"What is it Daniel? What's wrong?" Daniel was practically dragging her off her feet. "Daniel STOP!" She resisted moving another step until she found out what was going on. She'd arrived home just a bit ago and had listened to a frantic message from her friend, telling her to get over to Jack's right away. At first she worried that something was seriously wrong with the Colonel – but she knew Daniel would have called the SGC if that were the case. So, it had to be something else.

"I can't take it anymore Sam", Daniel said, running his hand through his hair. "I have to get out of here for a while or I'll kill him, I swear."

So that's what it was, she said to herself. Working very hard to keep from laughing, she tried to look sympathetically at the frantic looking man in front of her. "Is the Colonel giving you a hard time?" she asked. "We did expect it Daniel. You yourself said he gets crabby when he's recuperating."

"God Sam, if it was that I could handle it. I was totally prepared _to_ handle it. But you know Jack – the most contrary, arbitrary – _sneaky_ – man in the whole world. Oh no, he couldn't just be his usual pain in the ass. He couldn't mope and bitch and complain and insult me and harass me. No, those things I can handle. That's normal – that's _Jack_. No, it's this new thing I can't take. You'll have to stay with him for a while Sam, otherwise I'm afraid I'll say something I regret."

"But what's he _doing_ Daniel?" She frowned, trying to imagine what awful thing the Colonel could have done. Although he was notorious for being a pain when he was sick, and he did love to tease Daniel, he was never intentionally cruel. In fact, they all knew he cared deeply for Daniel – even if he did his best to hide it.

"He's being _nice_ Sam. The sneaky bastard is agreeing to everything I suggest. He's being pleasant and asking me to tell him about archaeology and ancient history. He's even started to ask me the names of things in various languages. He hasn't turned on any sports, or even the Simpsons. No – the bastard's been watching the _Discovery _and _History_ channels for god's sakes. He's about to drive me insane."

"But Daniel", she laughed. "What's wrong with that? It sounds as if you should be enjoying yourself. You've always trying to get the Colonel to show some interest in those things."

"Of course I do – but I don't actually _expect_ him to. I mean – we have a way of interacting. I try and teach him and he insults me. It works Sam and he's trying to change it. And he's doing it intentionally."

She couldn't help giggling, knowing very well that Daniel was right. Of course Colonel O'Neill was doing it to drive Daniel crazy. It was his way of getting back at the archaeologist for his words the other day. "You know Daniel, the best way to deal with him is to go along with it. Just up his game and _really _start spouting off all sorts of facts about your artifacts and ancient civilizations. He won't be able to keep it going."

"Ha! You're wrong Carter", O'Neill walked into the hallway where his two younger teammates were talking. "I can outlast Daniel till doomsday. I'm a master of revenge!"

"Aaargh!" Daniel cried. "You _have_ been trying to drive me crazy, you admit it."

"Admit what Daniel", Jack looked at him innocently. "I was just trying to make you feel at home. I appreciate you – _babysitting_ – me, and wanted your stay to be pleasant. I thought you would enjoy telling me about your work and all the things you enjoy."

"Telling you how to say 'banana' in Goa'uld isn't my idea of a fun time Jack!" He faced Sam. "He's yours for the afternoon. I'm going to go and watch some mud wrestling or something. Maybe I'll even go see some stock car races, anything to get away from here for awhile."

"Okay Daniel, I'm happy to stay with the Colonel" she turned to O'Neill. "If that's okay with you Sir? I promise not to 'babysit' you – but if you'd like some company …?"

"Sure Carter, you're welcome to stay. Why don't you come outside and we can sit on the deck. Would you like a beer?"

"Thank you Colonel. That would be nice."

Jack moved towards the kitchen and then stopped. "Have fun Daniel. I would recommend the mud wrestling over the races. Much more interesting. When you get back you can teach me some more fruit and vegetable names. I've always wondered what the Goa'uld call Kumquats."

Daniel and Sam watched in silence as the Colonel walked into his kitchen. She then turned to him and grinned. "Go on! I have things under control here. I'm happy to make him supper so don't rush back."

"Thanks Sam", Daniel answered sheepishly. "I know it's silly but I really miss the real Jack. This is too – weird."

"I know, and he'll be back to himself soon. Now go."

Once Daniel had left Sam followed the Colonel into the kitchen. He had got a beer out for her but was just standing in the middle of the room, not moving. When she approached he started, as if coming out of a deep thought.

"Carter!" he said. "Uh – here's your beer. I'm afraid I won't be great company. You really don't have to stay you know. I really don't need a babysitter. I'll be just fine on my own."

"I'm sure you will Sir", she answered calmly, although inside she was starting to worry. "I really don't have anything on though. I was just going to do laundry this afternoon and you would be saving me from that."

"Well I wouldn't want to make you have to do laundry. Come on out and sit for a while."

She followed the Colonel out to the deck, realizing that he wasn't the happy go lucky character he'd showed to Daniel. She suspected it had been as hard for the Colonel to keep up the act as it was for Daniel to put up with it. She wondered what this was all about.

She heard the Colonel let out a deep sigh as he sat down on the deck chair. He leaned back and closed his eyes. It was only then that she realized how very tired he still looked. She shouldn't be surprised, she knew. He'd only been home for a couple of days and he still had a long way to go before he was better.

She sat quietly beside him for a long time, just letting the warm afternoon sun relax her. At one point she almost dozed off, but a movement from the man beside her woke her up.

O'Neill was far from relaxed, she realized. He kept moving and sighing, although she didn't think he realized he was doing it. The frown between his eyes also spoke to his tension.

"Sir?" she finally asked softly. He brought his head forward and opened his eyes.

"What Carter?" he asked. "I'm sorry – you must be bored."

"No, it's not that. I'm enjoying just sitting here and relaxing. I don't get much time to do this. Anytime we're back I seem to have a million things to do to keep up with the house."

"Yeah, I know. I keep thinking about getting someone to come in, but I don't like the thought of a stranger in my house when I'm gone."

They sat quietly for another few seconds until he frowned. "What was it you were going to ask me?" he said, as if just realized what she'd said.

"I just wondered how you were doing Sir", she asked. "I'm sure you get tired of answering that, but you were looking a little – pensive. Are you okay?" She knew she could be opening herself up for a sarcastic reply. The Colonel guarded his privacy, especially his emotional privacy, very carefully.

For a moment she thought he was going to simply give some witty or sarcastic answer. Instead, he took a deep breath and turned his body until it faced her. "I'm okay I guess, just tired", he said.

"Well, you've been through a lot Colonel. That's why it's good you're resting and taking it easy."

"I don't mean physically Sam", he replied. "Oh – I _am_ still a bit tired and sore but that'll pass. No, I mean I'm tired of – everything." He seemed to feel as if he'd said too much and leaned back again and closed his eyes.

She didn't quite know what to say. She'd never seen the Colonel quite like this before. She knew Daniel had known him when he was still depressed over his son's death. Since she'd been with the team, however, he'd pretty much always been the one to keep their spirits up when things were bad. "I'm sure it's just that you're still recuperating Sir", she said quietly. "You've been through a lot and it's normal to feel down and – tired."

"Yeah", he said, agreeing, although she was pretty sure he said it to appease her, not because he really believed it. "Don't worry about me Major. I'll be fine."

"But I _do_ worry about you Colonel. I hate that you had to go through all of that. I just wish I could help."

He opened his eyes at that and turned his face towards her, his face reflecting nothing but confusion. "But you did", he said. "You _do_. God Sam, you saved my life and you're here now. You do help", he repeated. "I –ignore me okay? You're right, I'm just tired and" he smiled, "a bit crabby, if you want to know the truth. I'm sure I'll feel better once I can get back to work."

She looked at him doubtfully, pretty sure that he was simply trying to make her feel better, but there was no way she could force him to talk about it if he didn't want to. Instead she began to discuss their upcoming trip to the Alpha site.

It was obvious, after a while, that the Colonel wasn't really paying attention. He was still distracted, although he no longer looked quite so down. She stopped speaking when she realized she'd completely lost him. It took him a few minutes before he even noticed she'd gone silent.

"I'm sorry Sam – I was daydreaming." He stood up. "Come on", he held out his hand. "Let's get something to eat."

"Do you want me to fix you something?" she asked.

"No! You're my guest. The least I can do is provide dinner." He walked over to the phone. "What's your preference? We have Thai, Mexican, Italian, Pizza, Indian, American" he held up a number of take out brochures.

After they'd decided they sat in the living room to wait for the food. They chatted a bit more but the Colonel still seemed distracted. She really wondered what was going on.

"Colonel, are you okay Sir?" she finally asked.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, am I doing it again? I guess I'm just – thinking."

"Can I ask what about? Is it about the mission or the Ancient box?"

"No – yes – well, it's about the mission, I guess", he answered, suddenly looking a little uncomfortable. "It's just something I sort of remember."

She canted her head and frowned, wondering what it was that he could be remembering. "Something when you were held by those men?" she asked. He hadn't said too much about that and she wondered if things were starting to come back to him.

"Uh no – it was -" he stopped and looked at her strangely. "Never mind", he finally said, still looking uncomfortable. It was that moment that she had an inkling of what this might be about.

She could feel her face go red as she remembered what she'd had to do to keep him quiet. That kiss was seared into her brain and part of her was embarrassed. Another part of her, however, wished he hadn't been unconscious and that it had been mutual.

"It was real, wasn't it", his soft voice disturbed her thoughts and she quickly turned to look at him. He was staring at her intently, but he didn't look angry. "I thought it was a dream, but it wasn't."

"Sir?" she asked, trying to diffuse the situation. Maybe if she pretended ignorance he wouldn't pursue it.

"The kiss, it was real", he said, and this time it wasn't a question. "Why?" he asked, but again, he didn't sound angry or upset, just curious.

"You were groaning and talking – you were delirious – and I was afraid the mercenaries would hear you", she finally admitted, her face going pale where a minute ago it had been red.

He simply nodded, as if that sounded reasonable, but then he frowned. "Why didn't you simply cover my mouth with your hand?" he asked.

"I tried."

He raised his brows in a question.

"You thought I was attacking you and you hit back. I had trouble subduing you."

This time he looked guilty. "I'm sorry Sam – you know I would never -"

"I know Sir", she interrupted. "You were confused and didn't know what you were doing. And believe me, I would never have –uh – kissed you – if there had been any other way."

"I – oh – well, I'm sorry you had to do that", he said. "It must have been uncomfortable for you."

"No", she answered softly, hesitantly. "I – it was – I hope you don't think I was taking advantage of you. I wouldn't have done it except I couldn't think of anything else."

"It's fine Major", he said. "I don't think anyone will quibble considering the circumstances. I'm just sorry – I know it's not something you would choose to do."

"No Sir." She sat for a moment and watched him. "Actually", she said after a couple of minutes, "don't get me wrong – I would never take advantage of you – of anyone – like that but I didn't mind it." She stopped, knowing that sounded lame. "I mean – it was nice – I – it was nice. I – enjoyed - ", he voice faded out as she realized that she was digging herself into a hole. She also began to feel mortified when he didn't respond right away.

She felt slightly better – although somewhat breathless – when a small smile appeared on his face.

"I'm glad Major", he said softly, he head resting on the couch. His eyes closed but he continued to smile. "I just wished I had been awake – so I could have enjoyed it too. Next time, promise you'll kiss me when I'm _not_ delirious?"

It took her a moment before she got what he was saying. When she did she almost fell off the couch. She didn't know quite what to say – or whether to say anything at all. Fortunately, or maybe not, she was literally saved by the bell. Dinner had arrived.

They ate in virtual silence. Sam was feeling incredibly uncomfortable and unsure, but also excited, although she knew there was no point in letting herself hope. This could never go anywhere.

The Colonel, on the other hand, suddenly seemed to be in a great mood. He was chatty and funny and generally charming. She was pretty sure it was real, although she didn't know quite what had happened. She just wished they weren't stuck in this damned awkward situation of military regulations. She really wanted to figure out if there was – at least the possibility – of a _them_.

The Colonel was telling her a funny story of something that had happened to him when he was younger and serving overseas, when they could hear a key in the lock and Daniel's voice called out. Sam felt a touch of relief along with a big dose of disappointment. She'd really been enjoying her time with the Colonel – it had felt like two close friends (and possibly more) spending an evening together, rather than a subordinate and commander. Again she felt guilty – she couldn't allow herself to think like that.

"Hey you two – you're awfully quiet." Daniel was standing on the step overlooking the living room, looking slightly bemused. It was then that Sam realized Jack – whoops – Colonel O'Neill had stopped talking when he'd heard Daniel.

"Hi Daniel", the Colonel stood up and stretched. "How was the mud wrestling?"

"Oh, I changed my mind", the archaeologist explained. "I ended up just going home and getting a few things done. How are you doing Jack?"

"Me? I'm fine. Carter here's taken good care of me."

Daniel's face reflected his gratitude as he turned towards Sam. "You okay Sam? You survived an afternoon of a recuperating Jack?"

"Yes Daniel", she laughed. "The Colonel was fine – he didn't even ask me to talk to him about astrophysics." She stood up and faced the Colonel. "Thank you Sir, it was a fun afternoon and a great supper. I'd better get going though. It's getting late."

"Eight o'clock isn't late Carter", the Colonel protested. "Tell her Daniel. It's early!"

"Yeah Sam, you don't have to go just because I'm here."

"I know and I appreciate it guys, but I really should get home. And you Colonel – you _are _still recuperating so you should probably get to bed early."

"Hey Carter, you said 'no babysitting'!" he complained.

She laughed. "I know Sir, and I'm sorry – but I do want you to get better soon."

"So we can go back and play with that damned alien doohickey?" he looked disgusted.

"No Sir – I just want you to feel better."

His expression turned gentle and he smiled his crooked half smile. "Thanks", he said simply. He watched as she gathered her few things and then followed her to the front door. Daniel called goodbye and made himself comfortable on the couch.

"I really do appreciate your coming by Carter", he said as she went to open the door.

"No problem Sir. I enjoyed it. It was a nice day."

"Yes, yes it was", he agreed. He said goodbye and watched as she walked to her car. She turned around and waved and then got in and drove away. He continued to stand, looking out the door.

"Yup – you can kiss me anytime you want Sam – anytime."

"Jack!" Daniel's voice caused him to start and he moved back into the house. Taking a deep breath he plastered a smile on his face and went in to harass his friend. He didn't want Daniel to suspect anything – but he knew things had changed. And he didn't want them to go back to the way they'd been.

Nope – he had some serious thinking to do about his future.


	13. Alpha

She heard the whistling before she saw him. She was at work in her office, rereading all the information she'd written about the black box. They were scheduled to go to the Alpha site for three days and she wanted to be as prepared as she could be.

According to Daniel, Colonel O'Neill had arrived back a couple of days ago after spending a week at his cabin. Once he had been up to being on his own, and once Janet had given the okay, he'd high-tailed it up north for some 'R&R'. She grinned as the whistling got louder. He'd obviously had a good time.

"Carter!" he said cheerfully as he walked in the doorway. "How ya doin'?"

"I'm doing well Sir. How about you? You're looking good." And he was, she thought. He looked rested and relaxed – something she hadn't seen in a while.

"I'm great Carter – never better. I did a little fishing" he mimed casting a line, "a little beer drinking and a lot of sleeping outside in the hammock. It was great."

"I'm glad. I – we were worried about you Sir."

"No need Major. I'm a tough old soldier and aliens -"

"- are always poking you full of holes", she finished his sentence. "Yes Sir, I know, but this was a bad one. Janet was really concerned."

"Ah – the little 'power monger' – how is she? I bet she's missed me!"

Sam grinned. "I'm sure she did Sir", she answered diplomatically. His expression told her he knew exactly what she was thinking.

"So – you all ready to go to the Alpha site Major", he asked, turning the subject to more immediate things.

"Yes Sir. I was just going over the notes from our mission to see if there was anything I missed."

"And was there?"

"Not that I can tell. Daniel has been trying to see if there is anything similar in any literature he's come across from other worlds but so far there's nothing. We contacted the Tokra but they don't know anything about it either. Of course Anise/Freya wanted to get their hands on it as soon as they heard about it."

"No way", he frowned. "They are _not_ touching the damn thing! We'll end up getting kicked off earth if we let her - them fiddle around with it. Either that or they'll end up blowing us all to kingdom come!"

"They promised they'd be careful this time", Sam had to hold back a grin, knowing how much the Colonel disliked the sexy Tokra. She herself didn't have any use for Anise/Freya either – although she refused to analyze why that was.

"Nope - ain't gonna happen." His face suddenly mirrored a sense of panic. "Unless the General -?"

"No, I think he's as leery about them as you are. He told them we had things under control."

"Good", the relief in his voice was palpable. "So, that means we're still on I guess." He looked at his watch. "In fact, it's almost time for the briefing. I'm going to go look up Daniel and I'll see you in a bit Carter."

"Fine Sir", she smiled as he left, again hearing the whistling from down the hall. She couldn't remember seeing the Colonel quite so cheerful in a long time. One of these days she'd really have to go to his cabin. There must be something pretty special about it. (Yeah- her subconscious thought – Jack O'Neill's there, _that's _what's special about it.)

"Oh shut up!" she muttered.

"I am sorry Major Carter", Teal'c said. "I did not mean to disturb you."

"Oh – Teal'c – no, that's okay. I was just talking to myself, not to you."

Teal'c raised his eyebrow. Even after all these years he found the Tauri to be very strange on occasion. "I am going to the Briefing room and stopped by to see if you would wish to accompany me."

"Thank you Teal'c", she answered, standing up and grabbing her notes. "I'm all ready." The two friends chatted as they headed to their meeting. It turned out that Teal'c wanted to make sure that the Colonel really was well enough to go on the mission. She assured him she thought he was fine and the rest of the time was spent talking about Teal'c's latest passion – roller coasters.

The Colonel arrived a few minutes after them, closely followed by a complaining Daniel. Sam could feel herself start to relax even more. Things were all right in her world. The Colonel was harassing their archaeologist, who was rising to everything Colonel O'Neill said. Sometimes she felt like a Mom, Sam realized. She was constantly telling Daniel to just ignore the Colonel. But, like a little brother, he couldn't do that. No, he always managed to walk right into O'Neill's traps. She secretly thought he enjoyed it and did it to make Jack happy. Daniel cared greatly for the older man and she was pretty sure he was better able to defend himself than he appeared when dealing with Colonel O'Neill.

"Sam – tell Jack that he _cannot_ take the box to a hockey game! Even if it worked, it's not very sportsmanlike to make the other team lose."

"Hey, I didn't say I'd make them lose. I said I might send a few small curses their way!"

"Curses Sir?" she asked, surprised.

"Yeah. The thing seemed to respond to what I was thinking so I figured if I maybe wished for the goalie to get spots in his eyes for a while, or the center to trip over his laces, it would work."

Jack stopped talking when he realized his 2IC was deep in thought. Uh oh, something he'd said had started her thinking. He was always rather proud of himself when he said something 'brilliant' – or at least something that put things in a whole new perspective for his science twins. This time, however, he was rather worried, although he didn't know why.

"Maybe that's it Sir", she finally said.

"What? What's it?" he asked, totally confused. "It has something to do with hockey?"

"Hockey?" Now it was she who looked confused. "No it – Oh! I see. No, I meant maybe it isn't really the box at all."

"_Not_ the box?"

"No Sir. Maybe it's you. I mean, we figured that it must have some kind of tremendous power in it right?"

"Uh, I guess so." Actually, Jack hadn't given it that much thought to it at all. His mind had been occupied with other things.

"But what if the box doesn't have any power but it's _you_ who have it?"

"Me – but I – what power? I don't have any power other than what's normal for a guy my age – although a strong, very fit guy my age, if I do say so myself!"

"Yes Sir", she responded, not really paying attention. "But we don't know that Colonel. I mean, if it's simply the box itself, how did it follow your instructions on the Goa'uld ship?"

"We don't know for sure that it did Major. It may have been pure coincidence."

"That's true Sir, it's just that this is something we should consider. It might be you who has some kind of – well, power."

"Major, I'm the Colonel – _not_ the 'Jeannie'."

"Funny Sir", she smiled.

"I do not understand O'Neill", Teal'c looked confused by the conversation.

"He's talking about an old TV show Teal'c", Daniel explained. "It was about an Air Force Colonel who discovered a magic bottle that had a 'genie' trapped inside – a being with magical powers. Because he let her out she became his – or he became her 'master'." When he saw that his friend still didn't appear to understand he sighed. "I'll get the DVD and show you Teal'c."

"Thank you Daniel Jackson, that would be helpful."

Just then the General walked in and they began the briefing. They went through their last mission again, although nothing knew came out until Carter mentioned the possibility of her new theory.

"You think Colonel O'Neill might have some kind of special powers?" he asked, sounding somewhat incredulous. "We haven't seen any evidence of this before."

"Hey, I have lots of special powers General. I can -" he stopped and thought for a moment. "Have you ever seen me with a yo yo Sir?"

"Yes, and you should see him with a cake General." Daniel interjected. "He can eat a whole one at a single sitting! It's quite – amazing."

The General grinned – faintly – but looked at Major Carter, as the one sane person in the room. "Do you have anything else that would support this theory Major?"

"No Sir, not at this time, but I'd like to check it out. It's probably not the case." She ignored the rude noise that the Colonel made, although Hammond frowned at him. "But I'll check it out."

"What will you have me do Major?" O'Neill was suddenly getting a lot of enjoyment out of this. "I could turn Daniel into a – let's see – what kind of an animal should he be?"

"I believe Daniel Jackson should be a chipmunk", Teal'c said. Everyone in the room turned and stared at him.

"Uh - a _chipmunk_ Teal'c?" O'Neill asked.

"Indeed. They are inquisitive and rather cute", he said.

"_Cute_!" Daniel said in disgust. Jack burst out laughing.

"Yes – is that not correct? I heard Nurse Sanchez say she thought you were 'cute'. I understood that to be a compliment."

Daniel turned slightly pink and Sam giggled, pretty sure that Teal'c was pulling his leg, although it wasn't always possible to tell with their alien friend, even now.

"Okay people, I think we'd better finish this off before we end up _all_ behaving like school children. You have a go on the mission at thirteen hundred hours and good luck. I hope we find what we're looking for."

"Thank you Sir", a still grinning Jack said. "We'll do you proud!"

"Just stay out of trouble Colonel", Hammond said, as though it was something he wasn't really counting on.

"All right kids", Jack said, practically bouncing on the floor of the gate room a few hours later. "We all ready to go?"

"How come you're so happy all of a sudden Jack?" Daniel asked, looking askance at the Colonel.

"Why shouldn't I be Daniel? I just got back from vacation, I'm off on a simple mission and _I may have powers_", he leaned over and whispered this last to his friend.

"That's what this is about, isn't it" Daniel said, shaking his head. "You want to become invisible or something and play tricks on us, don't you?"

Jack just grinned and turned toward the gate as Walter began the process to establish a wormhole. The three other members of his team looked at one another and smiled. It was always great to see the Colonel in a good mood.

They arrived at the Alpha site a few moments later. Major Reznick met them on the other side.

"Welcome Colonel", he saluted. "We have everything set up for you. I understand you'll be with us for a few days, so please, let me know if there is anything else we can do or if there's anything you need."

"Thank you Major", O'Neill replied. "We'll stow our gear if that's alright and then you can show us the lab and equipment."

"Certainly Sir", Reznick replied. "Lieutenant, can you take Major Carter to her tent and I'll show the men where they're sleeping."

"Yes Sir", the young officer smiled at Carter and asked her to follow her. "You're over here Major. There aren't too many women here so we've set up our own little camp area. That way we have our own shower and latrine – and we don't have to listen to the men complain that we take too long!"

Carter laughed. "Sounds good, although on my team I'm usually the one out of the shower first", she explained. "I think Daniel gets lost in thoughts of ancient civilizations and would stay in until the water turned ice cold and Teal'c had never experienced a shower before and now we can't get him out!"

Lieutenant Woods smiled and showed the Major where her bunk was. "It's not glamorous Ma'am", she apologized.

"Don't worry. I've had much worse. In fact, this mission is a bit of a luxury. Usually we sleep on the ground on off-world missions."

"I envy you" Woods answered. "Other than here I haven't been off-world. I hope to one day make an SG team and travel to distant planets."

"I'm sure you will", Sam replied. "Although a lot of the planets are less than glamorous."

"Oh, I know. I've read a lot of the reports. Still just thinking about travelling millions of light years away is – amazing!"

"Yes, that it is." Sam spent a few minutes putting some of her stuff away and then turned back to the young lieutenant. She wondered briefly if she'd ever been that idealistic. She had to smile to herself – it was more than likely. She remembered the Colonel teasing her about it in the beginning.

As they walked back to meet the men, Woods talked on about her aspirations and desire to be on an SG team. "Uh Ma'am", she finally asked, hesitantly, "can I ask -" she paused.

"What is it Lieutenant?" she asked kindly.

"Well, I was just wondering what it was like to work with Colonel O'Neill. I'd heard about him before I was posted here and he's something of a legend. Is he – is he hard to work for?" she asked, with something approaching awe.

"Hard? Well, he's a good officer – no, he's a great officer – best I've ever worked with. But he is tough and he expects a lot, but he's also fair", she answered, thinking that what she was saying was the truth. What she didn't say were all the things that really made Colonel O'Neill an incredible commander and – friend. She didn't talk about his quirky sense of humor, his pretend (most of the time) cluelessness, his complete devotion to his friends and his inability to handle fools easily. She didn't talk about the deep pain and darkness that lay deep in his soul or his hatred of tyranny or injustice. She smiled at Woods. "Just don't ever tell him that people refer to him as a legend."

"He wouldn't like that?" the young woman asked, her eyes wide.

"Not like it", Sam laughed, "he'd love it - and we'd never hear the end of it!"

Just then they saw Daniel, Teal'c and the Colonel come out of what she assumed was the men's tent. They were laughing so she figured everything was okay with their quarters.

"All set Major", O'Neill asked.

"Yes Sir. Lieutenant Woods kindly showed me my bunk. I have my own room!"

O'Neill raised his eyebrows at that. "Now, how come _you_ get your own place when you're a Major and I'm a Colonel?" he asked seriously. "There's something very wrong here." He turned to Daniel. "Don't you think that's wrong Jackson? I mean, I'm the senior officer – I should have my own place rather than having to share with a geek and an alien."

Daniel just rolled his eyes and Teal'c stood still, his expression unchanging. Sam could tell that Woods was shocked. She must think that O'Neill was an arrogant jerk. He did have a way of making himself come across the opposite of what he really was. She couldn't help the small grin that escaped.

"Carter", O'Neill continued. "I think you should give me your bunk and you should share with the guys. That okay?"

"Well Sir, I'm sleeping in the women's quarters. I think you might be out of place." She wondered what he'd say to that. She saw him glance at Woods and instantly restrain himself. She knew if the younger woman hadn't been there he would have made some kind of ribald comment. As it was his answer was much more politically correct.

He sighed. "Too bad. I guess I'll just have to stay where I am. But _next _mission – I get the good bunk!"

"Yes Sir", she grinned again and then winked at Woods, who suddenly seemed to understand this was all a joke. Sam could see the palpable sense of relief on the woman's face. Colonel O'Neill quickly returned to hero status.

"So Lieutenant", O'Neill looked at the young woman. "Can you take us to where Carter here is going to be doing her experiments?"

"Yes Sir", Woods answered breathlessly. "It's right over here Colonel." She gestured towards a metal structure set about 100 yards from the camp. "Major Reznick said we should build it away from the camp."

"Yes, that's right", Jack was looking around carefully. He was a little worried that it was still too close but there was nothing they could do for now. He'd just have to make sure everyone was well away if they started doing experiments. He turned back to Woods and smiled. "All right – lead on Lieutenant."

"Yes Sir", she turned and headed towards the 'lab', walking very correctly and very stifly. Sam turned to Daniel and grinned. Oh, to be that young again. She wondered if the Colonel realized he had a young fan on his hand. She glanced at him quickly and then nodded to herself. Of course he did – he was a master at reading people. She knew he would be kind to the young woman – he always was to youngsters like her – unless he was intentionally testing them. She was pretty sure Wood's hero worship would continue!

Sam and Daniel spent the rest of the afternoon checking out the lab while the Colonel and Teal'c checked out the camp more completely and spent time with Major Reznick, the base commander. The black box was still on earth for now. If everything checked out okay, she would contact General Hammond and have him send it over the next day.

"So, how does everything look Carter", the Colonel was sitting with Teal'c in the mess tent, drinking a cup of coffee. She and Daniel were finished for the day and were ready to eat and relax.

"It looks good Sir. I think I have almost everything I need. I have a list of a few things I'd like the General to send tomorrow with the black box, but other than that we're good to go."

"Excellent!" he answered. "So have a seat and relax your mind. The coffee's not bad", he leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially "and they have donuts! Not as good as cake, but Teal'c's happy."

Major Reznick and Lieutenant Woods, as the two officers presently at the Alpha site, joined them for supper. Woods spent most of the time staring at O'Neill while Reznick appeared enamored of Carter. The two Majors were soon laughing and swapping stories of their time in the Gulf. They even knew some of the same people.

By the time they were all ready for bed that night, Jack was no longer in such a good mood. Daniel and Teal'c exchanged glances, wondering what had set him off. He'd been happier than they'd seen him in a while, now he was morose and uncommunicative.

Sam didn't notice anything – which had the consequence of making Jack even unhappier. Suddenly, his thoughts and dreams seemed ridiculous. Why had he allowed himself to get his hopes up, he wondered? As he took off his boots, and readied himself for bed, he cursed himself for being an old fool. Well – tomorrow he'd know better. Tomorrow he was back to being 'Colonel O'Neill' – hardass commander. He turned over with barely a word to Daniel and Teal'c - and spent the next few hours beating down any remaining bit of hope.


	14. Threat

"So where do you want me Carter?" he said. They'd received the black box and all Sam's equipment and now they were in the special lab that had been built at the Alpha site.

Carter had been looking at the box all morning. Jack really wondered what more she expected to see. She'd had the damn thing for weeks and nothing had changed. Still, he had to acknowledge that you couldn't be too careful. He rubbed his shoulder unconsciously. You never knew what an alien object was capable of!

"Just have a seat there Sir", she pointed to what looked almost like a recliner. He looked at it curiously.

"Uh – I guess they want me to be comfortable", he said.

"It's a special chair Colonel", she replied. "It's built to protect you from any shocks or power surges and to monitor your vital signs."

"Really?" This time he looked at it suspiciously. "Are you sure the box is safe? Maybe we should just toss the damn thing back. We don't really need it anyway."

"I'm sure it will be fine Sir", she said distractedly, still looking at the box. "You've touched it before and nothing bad happened."

"Not to me Carter", he said, "but remember the other guy!"

"I know – but the important thing is you were okay. Just be careful what you're thinking when you're holding it."

"Geez thanks Carter – now I'll be sure to think all sorts of horrible thoughts. Don't blame me if I turn Daniel into a stone monument or something!"

She looked up at that and grinned. "He'd probably like that Sir – it would give him perspective – from the other side – so to speak."

"Yeah- you can tell him that if it happens! Okay, are we getting this show on the road?"

"Yes Sir." She watched him while he got settled in the chair. It was a bit disconcerting to feel the thing shape itself to him. It kind of reminded him of the time they'd been captured by the damn 'gatekeeper'. "Okay, as soon as Daniel and Teal'c get here I'm going to hand you the box. Before then, try and clear your mind and think of positive things. When you're ready just signal me with your hand and I'll give you the box."

"Okay Carter", he sighed. He really didn't want to do this – and where the hell were –

"Sorry Sam", Daniel was panting as he walked in. "I was just telling Major Reznick about our recent mission and didn't realize the time."

Teal'c followed him in at a more sedate pace. "I too apologize Major Carter. I was waiting for Daniel Jackson."

"Why the hell did you need to tell Reznick about our mission?"

"Well, he was interested Jack. He's got full clearance."

Jack frowned, not liking to be reminded of the Major. "Fine – but let's get moving. I don't have all day to sit around in this ridiculous chair!"

"Boy – you sure got up on the wrong side of bed", Daniel muttered. He sat down though and watched as Sam finished putting all her equipment on the table next to O'Neill.

Sam didn't say anything but she was surprised. The Colonel had been funny and pleasant all morning. She really wondered what had set him off. "Okay, ready to go Sir?" she asked.

"Yes Major – I've been ready for quite some time."

Even Teal' noticed the Colonel's bad mood and looked slightly disapproving. No one said anything after that and soon Sam approached O'Neill, holding out the box. "Are you thinking positive thoughts Sir?" she asked.

He sighed. "I can't really think of too much that's positive right now", he replied. "Any ideas?"

Daniel looked at Sam and shook his head. "Uh – think of the latest episode of the Simpsons", he volunteered.

Jack looked at him for a moment and then shrugged. "Yeah, okay." He closed his eyes and concentrated. After a few minutes his face seemed to relax and his teammates could even see the beginnings of a grin.

"Here you go Sir", Sam said softly, and she handed him the box.

He took it automatically, trying not to break his concentration. He could feel it open and immediately he tensed up.

"Just relax Sir", Sam's voice came to him from a long way off. "Just relax and keep your mind on something nice. Take deep breaths – it's all okay."

It was fine for her to say, he thought. Just try keeping things out of your mind when someone tells you not to think bad things. It's impossible and, of course, he instantly thought about–– oh hell, stop it O'Neill! Good things Jack, good things. Yeah – like hockey – just think about hockey and cake – lots and lots of cake. Yup, hockey and cake and beer and cake and Carter in a bikini and cake. He had felt himself begin to relax until he had that damn thought about Carter in a little, teeny tiny black bikini. That _definitely_ had him tensing up – in all the wrong places.

"Sir, Sir, SIR – STOP!"

He was having trouble opening his eyes. He was so caught up in the – dream – that he didn't want to come back to reality. No – Carter in a bikini was much nicer than some old stupid planet and a black box that was more trouble than it was worth.

"O'NEILL!" a deep voice shattered his fantasy and he slowly opened his eyes.

"Wha - ?" he slurred, looking in confusion at he teammates. Why were they looking so frightened? What was happening? He tried to look around, to see if he could find an enemy, but he was held back by some kind of invisible force. He tried harder to pull himself up, to go to the aid of his comrades, but he couldn't move.

"Stay still Sir", Sam said. "It's okay – everything is fine."

"Huh?" He looked up at his Second and frowned. "Where's your bikini Sam?" he asked.

This time it was she who frowned. "Bikini Sir?" she asked, squatting down to look at him. "Uh – I don't have one. Are you okay Colonel?"

"Who me?" he grinned slowly. "Oh yeah – thinkin' good thoughts – jus' like you told me." He looked intently at her. "You look good in a bikini Carter. You should def'nately wear one – on all our missions."

Daniel choked, knowing that Jack was going to be mortified when he realized what he was saying. Sam was looking slightly embarrassed – but even more concerned. The box was clearly having an effect on Jack – although not one any of them had expected. He had to grin – Jack had been truly caught with this one. He was going to have hours of enjoyment harassing his friend.

"Uh – I think my BDU's are okay Sir", Sam said. She was terribly embarrassed, although also flattered, to know what the Colonel had been thinking. She knew her face was beet red, but she tried to ignore it as she checked out the Colonel's vital signs. He closed his eyes and looked like he was dozing, although he still had a smile on his face.

"Oh, I don't know Sam", Daniel threw in. "Maybe we'd establish relations with other planets sooner if you were to -"

"Don't go there Daniel!" she interrupted. "And don't you _dare_ mention this to anyone. If you do I will personally –"

"Personally what?" he grinned.

"Tell that new little nurse – what was her name?"

"I believe you mean Nurse Jacobs", Teal'c supplied.

"Yes, that's right – Nurse Jacobs. I'll tell her that you said she had great" she held up her hands to her chest "uh-"

"Boobs", Teal'c again supplied the missing word.

"_Teal'c_!" Daniel cried.

"That is what you said Daniel Jackson." He turned back to Sam. "I do not believe Dr Frasier would be pleased to hear that he is making comments about the physical attributes of her staff."

"Why Teal'c – you traitor! And anyway – you agreed with me. In fact, if memory serves me right, you said they were even nicer than Nurse Henderson's!"

"_Teal'c_!" This time it was Sam who sounded shocked, although she was trying hard not to laugh. "For shame! And here I thought you were better than that!"

Teal'c bowed his head, looking slightly sheepish – although Sam was pretty sure she'd seen a twinkle in his eye. She laughed softly and then turned back to Colonel O'Neill. All the while the conversation had been going on she had kept her eyes on him. He was so relaxed that she saw his hand – the one holding the box – begin to open. Fortunately was able to grab it before it fell and wasn't surprised when it instantly closed.

"Sir, how are you?" she asked, noticing that he was beginning to wake up.

He had to rouse himself from one of the best sleeps he'd had in a long time. When he finally got his eyes open he could see his three teammates looking at him expectantly. They also had expressions on his face that he couldn't quite interpret. He looked again at Sam, who refused to meet his eyes. What was going on?

"Uh – everything okay?" he asked, looking between his friends.

"Everything's fine Colonel. What do you remember?"

"Uh – oh – not too much. I was just trying to think something good, like you said Carter. I think I fell asleep."

"You did", she agreed.

"Yeah – and you were _definitely_ thinking nice thoughts Jack – _really _nice thoughts!" Daniel smirked.

He was sure he was imagining it, but it looked like Teal'c was grinning as well. Sam – well, she still wouldn't look at him.

"Okay, so what's going on here?" he asked finally. This was weird.

"You dreamt about-"

"Cake Sir", Sam hurried to interrupt. "You were dreaming about cake."

"Oh? Is that all?"

"That and other really sweet things Jack", Daniel told him, the smirk growing bigger on his face.

"_Daniel_", Sam warned. "Ignore him Sir. He's just a little sore _after his visit to the nurse_ the other day! It was a new one too – what was her name Teal'c?"

"Nurse Jacobs", Teal'c provided.

"That's right, Nurse Jacobs. I've heard she has really nice -"

"_Sam!" _Daniel glared at her.

" – shoes. She has really nice shoes." Sam grinned at her fellow scientist.

"What the hell is going on?" Jack finally asked, although his tone of voice belied his harsh words. He was feeling incredibly relaxed and happy right now – which was weird – but which he decided to simply sit back and enjoy.

"Nothing Sir. How do you feel?

"Feel? I feel fine – great even. Did anything happen?" he wanted to know, still trying to puzzle out what was going on.

"The box opened as soon as you touched it. Nothing else happened except that you appeared relaxed and able to focus on good thoughts -"

"Okay, so we're done here?" Jack said, trying to get out of the chair.

"Actually Colonel, I'd like to try one more test if that's okay, then you can go and get some lunch."

"Alright Major", he sighed. "I'll continue to be your guinea pig, your test subject – monster to your Dr. Frankenstein –"

"I won't take long Sir, I promise", she laughed. "This time I want to try something a little different. I'd like you to relax, just like before, but after I hand you the box I want you to think of some kind of threat. It shouldn't be anything too serious or dangerous – but I want to see what happens when you're thinking of something less positive."

"You're sure about this Carter?" he asked, feeling a little uncomfortable about this. "I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"I know Sir, that's why we're going to go behind the barrier over there." She pointed over to where a tall baffle of some kind stood. "It's used by bomb disposal units. It will protect from any unforeseen reactions."

"What if I try and attack?"

"You can't Colonel. The chair will restrain you."

"I hope you know what you're doing Major", he answered skeptically. "Teal'c, I think you better get your zat out just in case."

"I will O'Neill", the big Jaffa answered.

Once the men were behind the barrier Sam handed the box to the Colonel – which again snapped open. He made himself think about cake, which wasn't hard as he was starving. He noticed Sam move behind the barrier as well.

"Okay Sir", her voice came from behind the wall. "Start thinking of something just a bit more negative – something you feel is harmful or threatening."

"Yeah right", he muttered, closing his eyes. "This is a really stupid idea!" He sat for the next few minutes but of course this time all he could think of was cake – and he had some quick images of a very sexy woman in a bikini. He frowned when he couldn't see her face. Immediately after that however, another face popped into his mind. It was Major Reznick. As he imagined the face of the base commander he could start to feel himself get irritated. He didn't know why – he generally thought pretty highly of the man, and he knew that Hammond did as well. So why then was he –

"Come quick!" a frantic pounding on the lab door startled Jack out of his musings. He opened his eyes and watched as Teal'c moved towards the door.

"Oh thank God", Lieutenant Woods said when the door was opened. "You have to come. The Major's been hurt."

"What?" Sam cried, stepping out from behind the baffle. "What happened?"

"I don't know. We were standing talking when all of a sudden he was thrown back and slammed into the wall of his office. He was unconscious when I left."

"Let me out of here Daniel", Jack commanded. "Carter, you go help the Lieutenant. Teal'c you go make sure there's no other danger. Watch out – we could have an incursion on our hands."

Jack strained against the restraints in the chair and wanted to scream at Daniel to hurry up. He was worried something bad was about to happen and needed to check on Reznick. God, he hoped the man was okay.

He practically leapt up out of the chair as soon as Daniel had released the last strap. Without a further look back he ran towards the command building. He glanced down quickly, only then noticing that he was still holding the damn box. Not having anywhere else to put it, he held on to it.

"How is he?" he asked as soon as he walked in. He looked down at a pale looking – and clearly unconscious Reznick.

"Not good Sir", Sam replied. She was checking out the Major's eyes as she spoke. "His pupils are unequal and unresponsive. I'm afraid of serious brain damage Sir."

Jack could tell that it was bad, and not just by looking at Reznick. He glanced up at the back wall and could see the blood smeared there. It was also in a pool by the Major's head. He watched as Sam carefully felt the back of his skull – her hands coming away red with the lifeblood which was spilling out of the man.

God – what had happened, he wondered. He looked around but could see no obvious source of danger. Teal'c and Daniel were checking to see if they could find out what had happened, and if they were in any continuing danger. As soon as they said it was safe they'd have to dial earth and get a med team here quickly.

He looked down again at the major – at both majors - and grew even more worried. Sam had a look on her face that indicated she thought it was bad – very bad.

"He's not doing well Sir", she confirmed. "His vital signs are getting worse. We have to get him to the SGC quickly or I don't think he's going to make it."

Damn – why did this have to happen? He nodded. "As soon as Teal'c and Daniel tell us it's okay Major", he replied. In the meantime he prayed that Reznick would be alright. He closed his eyes briefly and simply wished the man well. It would be terrible to lose him – not like this.

"Sir?" Carter's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"What is it Major?" he asked, afraid she was going to tell him the man was gone.

"Uh – he looks like he's waking up."

What? Sure enough – Jack looked down and could see Reznick try and open his eyes. After a few seconds he managed to do so, and then took a deep breath. His eyes settled immediately on the woman kneeling beside him.

"Major Carter? What's wrong?" he asked. He attempted to push himself up but Sam held him down.

"Just take it easy Major", she said. "You hit your head pretty hard. How are you feeling?" She looked at him carefully, unsure of what had just happened.

Jack was even more confused. He could practically see the blood return to the wounded man's face and his eyes were looking clearer by the minute. From being close to death's door one minute he looked like he was quickly getting better.

"Uh – a little dizzy, but not too bad. I had a headache when I first woke up but it seems to be going. What happened?"

"Lieutenant Woods said she was standing here talking to you when all of a sudden you were flung backwards and you slammed against the wall", she told him.

He stared at her in confusion for a moment and then turned and looked at the wall. "What the - !" he said in shock when he saw all the blood. He then glanced down and scrambled away quickly when he saw the pool of blood beside him. "That's not my - "

"Yes it is", Jack spoke up for the first time. "That's your blood. Look Major, as soon as we know it's safe I'm sending you to the SGC to have Dr. Frasier look you over. That was a hard hit – so take it easy for now." He held his hand out and helped the other man to his feet. He looked again at the box in his right hand and wished he had a place to put it down. "How are you now?" he asked instead.

"Uh – I'm fine – I think. I don't feel any pain at all." He reached up and gingerly felt the back of this head. His look of shock should have startled the others but both O'Neill and Carter had expected it. Although his hand was covered in blood, he had found no wound. "It's better", he said. "There's no wound at all. What the hell just happened?" he wanted to know.

"I have no idea Major – but we'll figure it out." Just then Daniel and Teal'c returned.

"There is nothing O'Neill", Teal'c informed him. "No one saw anything and everyone is accounted for. I do not know what occurred."

"There's nothing Jack", Daniel said as well. "There were people outside at the time of the attack and no one saw a thing. I can't figure it out."

"So there's no danger?"

"Not that we can ascertain O'Neill", Teal'c agreed.

"Okay then, let's get the Major to the SGC. Lieutenant", he turned to Woods who had stood quietly by the entire time. Her face was completely white and Jack realized this had been frightening for the young officer. "I want you to accompany Major Reznick. Get checked out yourself, just to make sure you weren't affected by anything. Then I want you to report to General Hammond and tell him exactly what happened."

"Yes Sir", she said, her voice practically non-existent.

"And don't worry", Jack said kindly, "Everything will be fine."

Teal'c escorted the Major and Lieutenant to the Gate, saying he'd return shortly. In the meantime, the remaining members of Sg1 simply looked at each other.

"What the hell was that?" Daniel wanted to know.

"I have no idea", Sam said. "It was almost as if some invisible force was out to get the Major. I also can't figure out how he got suddenly better. I have a feeling there's some kind of alien 'presence' here." She turned to her commander. "Sir, I think we should keep looking. It had to have been _something_ that attacked the major."

"Yeah, I know Carter", he sighed. He'd so hoped for a peaceful little mission to the Alpha site. He looked down. "I have to get rid of this damn box Carter. Where can I put it?"

"What?" she looked down. "Oh – I'm sorry Sir, I didn't realize you still had it. We should put it back in the lab for safekeeping."

"You think it will be safe there?", he asked. "If there's some kind of threat here we might want to keep it with us."

Sam stared at him blankly – making him wonder if he'd just said something stupid. He thought back – nope – he hadn't. "What is it Sam?" he asked softly.

"What did you just say Sir", she asked.

"I just said we should watch out for this thing – in case there's someone or something here."

"No Sir", she contradicted him. "You said something about a 'threat'."

"Yeah", he frowned. "Isn't that what I just said?"

"I mean you used the word 'threat'. When was the last time you thought about a threat – or something 'threatening'?" She looked at him intently.

"Uh – I don't know Carter – on one of our last missions maybe? It could have been when we met those natives who wanted to carve their initials into our hides!"

"No Sir – think back to just a while ago – when you were in the chair."

"What about it Car – " He suddenly stopped and stared. "What? You mean - "

"What were you thinking about Colonel – right before the Lieutenant came into the room?"

"What was I – let's see." He frowned, thinking furiously. "Cake – I was thinking cake because I was hungry."

"Was there something else", she pushed him. "I asked you to think about something threatening – do you remember? Do you remember what you were thinking?"

He tried to concentrate – carefully going back over the moments just before Lieutenant – OH MY GOD! His eyes opened wide in shock. He was thinking about Reznick – about how irritated he was at the man – and how much he'd like him to go away.

"What is it Sir?" Carter asked. "What do you remember?"

"Carter – I – God!"

"What Sir", she said more gently this time.

"It was me", he answered. "I was thinking about the Major – I was irritated. Oh God – I almost killed him!" His face grew pale and he felt his knees grow weak. He'd just about killed an innocent man.

He threw the box away from himself at that moment. It landed against the wall and closed silently. "Keep that thing away from me Carter!" he growled.

Sam looked fearfully at her commanding officer – not because she was afraid _of _him – but because she was afraid _for_ him. She didn't know what this would do to him.

"You'll have to take charge Sam", he said. "You'll have to arrest me and take me back to the SGC."

"It wasn't your fault Sir. It was just an accident."

"Don't you understand Major? _I almost killed a man just with my thoughts!"_

"And with the box – if anything is responsible, it's that." Before he had a chance to reply she had another astounding thought. "Sir – you may have been inadvertently responsible – although it was an accident – but I bet you're also responsible for healing him."

"What?" Jack's wrinkled brow showed his confusion.

"When he was lying there, hurt, what were you thinking?" she asked.

"I don't know Carter – just that I wanted him to be okay, I guess."

"You were wishing that he was better?" she wanted to know.

"Of course. I'm sure we all were."

"Yes – but the rest of us weren't holding that box. Sir – you saved his life!"


	15. Command Decisions

_**It's been another crazy week - so it's taking me a while to write. My apologies. Thank you to all who are reviewing - I love hearing from you.**_

Okay, so he'd saved the man – that still didn't negate the fact that first he'd almost killed him. And why? Because he was jealous! God, what kind of person was he? The Major hadn't done anything more than be friendly to Carter. Jack snorted – it wasn't as if no one else showed interest in his Second. Hell, half the base was in love with her – the other half was in love with Daniel. He sighed. No, there was absolutely no excuse for what he'd done. He'd have to report it to the General and expect to be charged.

"What happened Jack?" Daniel's voice suddenly interrupted his dark thoughts. He looked up to see the younger man standing in the door of their sleeping quarters. He'd escaped here after he'd realized what he'd done. Sam and Daniel had gone to examine – again - the damn box.

"You know what happened Daniel", he said, with no inflection in his voice. "I just about killed a totally innocent man today. _That's_ what happened."

"But why Jack? I mean, I know it was a total accident but how did it happen? Before we got here you said you thought Reznick was a great guy and the next thing you know you get so mad at him you – or the box – throws him against a wall. Why were you so angry at him?"

"I wasn't", he answered shortly.

Daniel raised his eyebrow. "Really? Then how come you – uh he got tossed like that?"

"I don't _know_ Daniel. I was irritated, that's all – nothing serious and certainly nothing that would make me want to hurt the man", he replied. He realized that that wasn't quite true however. He _had _been irritated enough that the thought of slugging the guy had been rather pleasant. Oh, he knew he would never have actually done it – but he had been thinking about it. He was sure that was why Reznick had been hurt.

"Why were you irritated at him?" Daniel asked, puzzled. "I didn't see him do anything."

"He didn't" Jack replied, standing up and moving to the window. "I - just leave it Daniel."

"But Jack, we can't leave it. Sam is trying to figure out what went wrong and we need all the facts. Maybe if we knew what set you off it would help us discover how the thing works."

"I don't see how that's gonna do anything. And anyway, I say we just get rid of the damn thing. Jettison it out into space or something. It's too dangerous to have around."

"Well, it doesn't respond to anyone else so as long as you stay away from it everything should be fine."

"Yeah, and what happens if someone else happens on it one day and it works for him – or her. No, there's no way of knowing what kind of damage it could do. I say we get rid of it."

"But Jack -"

"Are you forgetting the orb Daniel?" Jack interrupted. "If you'll recall it was poised to wipe out the entire planet before we figured out what was going on – and I spent a day pinned to the Gate room wall like a damned bug. No – we have to learn that sometimes we just shouldn't touch."

Daniel sighed and nodded. He knew Jack was right, but he didn't like it. Whatever this thing was it had been created by the same people who created the Gate system, of that he was sure. The fact that it worked for Jack was mind-boggling and laid out all sorts of possibilities. But he acknowledged that his friend – and commander – was making sense. Maybe they should just throw it back.

"Sam isn't going to be happy", Daniel said, using her name as a last-ditch effort to have Jack agree to more tests. The Colonel was usually a sucker for Carter and her innocent looking blue eyes. Daniel knew that she was, in fact, terribly sneaky when it came to getting her own way with the Colonel. Oh, it wasn't selfishness that made her do it, but she still knew how to get around Jack – at least sometimes.

"Well she'll just have to get over it", O'Neill replied.

Okay, thought Daniel, this was obviously not one of those times!

"You can tell her", he said. "I value my life too much."

This time it was Jack who sighed. Daniel was right – it was his responsibility to tell Carter that the experiments were to be stopped. He also knew that his pesky archaeologist was right and that she wouldn't be happy. If he knew her – and after all these years he figured he did – he knew she was going to be royally pissed. She'd try arguing and then she look at him reproachfully – at which time he'd almost crumble – and when it was clear she wasn't getting her way she'd go all formal and 'military' on him. He knew he'd hear 'Colonel' and 'Sir' ad nauseum for the next few days and she'd practically stand at attention every time she saw him.

He sighed again. "Okay, I'll tell her – but you have to come and save me in a few minutes. Carter is _scary_ when she's mad!"

Daniel grinned and agreed to come and save the older man, although he'd wait a while before he showed up. Jack deserved to squirm a bit. It would do him good.

As the Colonel walked away Daniel again wondered what Reznick had done to set him off. He shook his head – Jack was rarely if ever unfair in his dealings with people. He could be a pain in the ass if someone was an idiot – but the good guys he treated well. He really had to wonder what it had been about.

Jack stood in the doorway of the lab and just watched as Carter turned the box over in her hands and stared at it ferociously. Her frustration had made its way on to her face – something usually pretty rare with Carter, who was one of the most even-tempered people he knew.

He enjoyed watching his 2IC when she was working. She was in her element like this and he could almost feel a sizzle in the air from the intense brain power being used. The thing that he really lov – liked about Carter however, was the fact that she didn't let her intelligence get in the way of her basic good nature. She was one of the least arrogant people he knew and her caring and compassion were obvious to any and all who knew her well. Yeah – she was a pretty special person – and he was just about to royally disappoint her – something he hated doing at any time.

He cleared his throat, but she was so engrossed in the alien object that it took a second time before she looked up.

"Sir? I'm sorry, I didn't hear you come in."

"That's okay Carter", he replied gently. "I didn't want to disturb you. Uh" – he pointed to the object – "you found anything this time?"

"No Sir."

Yup – she was frustrated all right.

"I can't get it to open or to do anything. I've tried everything I can think of and none of them have told me a thing. I think we're going to have to do another test with you Colonel, before we learn any more."

"No", he answered, softly but definitely.

"Sir?" she looked at him with a frown. "We have to keep going – we've just started to touch the surface of what this can do."

"Carter – I'm afraid the answer is no. A person was already hurt – seriously – by this thing and one guy disappeared. Who knows what more damage I could do with it."

"It wasn't you Sir – it was the box."

"_Carter_! It was me _and _the box - _together_. It wouldn't have done what it did without me. We're asking for trouble if we keep testing this thing. I don't want you doing anything more on it. Just put it in a secure spot and I'm going to contact General Hammond. When we get back home I'm going to recommend that we either destroy it or get rid of it – somewhere no one will ever find it."

"_But Sir_!",she answered, sounding almost frantic. "This is an important find – this could be one of the most valuable things we've found since we started going through the gate. We can't just ignore it or destroy it."

"Yes we can", he said. "It's not _worth_ it Sam. As I told Daniel – remember the Orb. We _cannot_ put others in danger just on the off-chance it will make a good weapon. Any anyway, it would have pretty limited use if I'm the only person who can use it – and I assure you I don't plan to ever touch the damn thing again!"

There she goes, thought Jack. She's looking at me with that wounded puppy look. You'd have thought he'd just kicked her or something. He took a deep breath and let it out. "Sam, I'm sorry, really I am. I know you think this is important but I just don't think it's worth the risk. The General may disagree with me but for now, I want all tests stopped and I want you to put it away."

"Yes Sir!" she snapped out. "Whatever you say Sir!" She picked up the box again and began to place it inside the high-tech container they'd transported it in. She refused to look at him as she worked.

Oh yeah – here it comes, he thought. He really wasn't looking forward to the next couple of days!

They'd received word from the SGC that Janet was keeping Reznick in the Infirmary for 24 hours just to monitor him and make sure he was alright. Once she cleared him – which Jack was pretty sure would happen quickly – the Major would return to the Alpha site and resume command. At that point Jack would herd his team back home and then he'd talk to the General about disposing of the box.

That part worried him, however. He knew what the military could be like, and he certainly knew the blind arrogance of the NID. He was pretty sure they'd do whatever they could to get their hands on it. He'd just have to make sure that if they did, they couldn't use it.

"Okay Major", he said, this time sounding tired and frustrated himself. "Clear things up in here and prepare to return to earth as soon as Reznick is back tomorrow. Hopefully it won't be too late."

"Yes Sir", she responded again, all the sparkle he loved to see extinguished. He knew she was disappointed – more than disappointed, she was angry – but he also knew he'd made the right decision.

He nodded to Sam and then fled the room. Oh – he didn't do it obviously – in fact he tried to walk slowly and appear dignified – but inside he was relieved to have gotten out in one piece. Poor Sam – thwarted of her test subject. But then again – poor him. He was going to have to put up with an extremely disappointed 2IC. Life was not going to be fun.

He met Daniel as he was walking back to the main buildings and gave him a dirty look. "Some rescuer you are", he complained.

Daniel tried to look repentant but really he just felt relieved that he'd clearly missed the worst of it. "Hey, I didn't know you'd do it so quickly. I thought you'd talk to Sam about it for awhile."

"Yeah- well there really wasn't anything to talk about. I've made my decision Daniel and that's the end of it."

"But that's not fair to Sam. I mean, she's worked - "

"_Daniel!_" He rubbed his hand through his hair. "It may not be fair – but it's the right decision. And I don't really have to discuss it with her or anyone else. I'm in command and this is _my_ decision. It is not up for a vote!" Sometimes Daniel was enough to try a saint, and right now he really didn't need this. "Was there anything else? Cause if not, I have to go check on the rest of the base. I'm in charge until Reznick gets back."

"Fine!" Daniel scowled. "I'll go see Sam and commiserate with her. I'm sure she'd appreciate talking to someone who cares about what she does!" On those words he turned and walked away, leaving Jack feeling as if he'd betrayed his teammates, although he still believed he'd made the correct decision.

The rest of the day was spent checking on things at the Alpha site. He spent time reassuring the men and women there that their commander was going to be fine and that Dr. Frasier was just holding him for observation. He also had the opportunity to see that the Major ran a tight ship. He had done a great job with the base, which only made Jack feel even more guilty.

Teal'c spent time checking on security measures in place on the off-world site and recommended a few modifications. He'd checked in with Jack a few times during the day but hadn't stopped to chat. Daniel and Sam had stayed at the lab and he'd hadn't seen them once. He figured they were both pouting and were clearly angry at him. He sighed, hating when things like this happened, but he also knew it was one of the perils of leadership.

"O'Neill, it is time to partake of dinner." Teal'c's voice startled him. He looked up from Major Reznick's desk where he'd been studying some of the man's reports.

"Teal'c! It's kind of early for dinner isn't it?" He glanced at his watch and was surprised to notice it was already 1900 hours. "Oh – I didn't realize it was so late." He closed the report in front of him and stood up and stretched. "I guess I could use a break. How's everything?"

As they walked towards the dining hall Teal'c filled him in on what he'd seen and a few of the recommendations he was making. Jack nodded, although he was only listening with half an ear. He'd spent the afternoon second guessing himself on his decision to nix the tests. That in and of itself worried him and he was trying to figure out if his ambivalence was because of the possible important of the object – or whether his inappropriate feelings for his 2IC were getting in the way of his leadership ability.

If he thought for a moment that the way he was feeling was going to affect his command, then he knew it was time to get out – to either retire or request another assignment. He couldn't chance putting his team – or his world – in danger because he had the hots for a soldier under his command.

"Are you alright O'Neill?" Teal'c's voice finally penetrated his thoughts and he turned and gave an apologetic look at his friend.

"I'm sorry Teal'c – I must be hungrier than I thought. My mind was wandering there for a moment."

"Is it hunger or are you still feeling guilty for your part in injuring Major Reznick?"

Nothing like good old Teal'c to name the elephant in the room. There was never any point in trying to dissemble with the Jaffa. He didn't do it – and usually wouldn't tolerate it from his friends. Jack took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I guess I am Teal'c. It shouldn't have happened and I still think I should face some consequences. I almost killed him."

"Over his actions with Major Carter?" Teal'c asked gently.

Jack stopped and stared at his friend. Okay – this was carrying honesty a bit too far. He could feel himself flush and he started to get angry. "What are you talking about Teal'c? Reznick didn't do anything to Carter."

"No, he did not. He was friendly with her however, and that bothered you."

"Why should it bother me? I'm her commanding officer, for God's sake, not her father. I don't have any say over her who she decides to talk – or flirt – with_._"

"No, you do not, and yet you were bothered by it. I do not blame you my friend. I know that you would never have intentionally hurt the Major over this. And I believe you were incorrect anyway. Major Carter was not _flirting_ with Major Reznick – she was simply being friendly. I have often observed her speak with people this way. She is a kind and friendly person but her affections do not lean in his direction. I believe Major Carter's heart is already given."

Teal'c had started walking again and Jack had followed slowly along. His friend uttered his last words just as he got to the dining hall – and Teal'c walked in and left him standing, staring at the door. What the hell did he mean by that?

It took Jack a few seconds to regroup but he finally was able to push the door open and walk in. There were only a few scattered people in the hall. He saw Daniel eating by himself and he wondered if Sam was around or if she'd eaten already. Knowing her she'd gotten caught up in something and he'd have to go fetch her. Hopefully she wouldn't glare at him when he did.

He wasn't very hungry but he took a few items and then moved to the table with Daniel and a newly seated Teal'c. "Sam not with you", he said casually as he sat down.

"She came and grabbed a sandwich and then headed back to the lab. She said she still had some things to get together before we left tomorrow."

Jack grunted in reply and took a bite of mashed potatoes. He was pretty sure she was avoiding him – probably still royally ticked off. He'd have to go and see her and try and straighten things out. He hated it when any of his team mates were angry with him.

Teal'c and Daniel chatted softly as they ate. Jack sat quietly, only occasionally participating when one or the other of his friends asked him a direct question. He missed the look that passed between the two of them – and probably would have been embarrassed if he had known what they were thinking.

Daniel had been thinking back to what had happened and had finally figured out what had set Jack off. He had realized that Reznick had shown an extraordinary amount of interest in Sam. Like many men at the SGC he'd appeared smitten with the attractive woman. Daniel knew that she didn't think anything of it – she wasn't the slightest interested in any of the men who drooled over her. No, as far as Daniel could tell, she was attracted to the 'fringe' element – either from earth or from other planets. He thought back to the various aliens she'd been 'involved' with – for want of a better term – and knew that a normal kind of guy just wouldn't do it for her.

He glanced at the silent man next to him and had to hold back a grin. There were many things you could call Jack O'Neill – normal wasn't one of them. Oh, he was far from crazy – but he was definitely unique. He was a strange mixture of a tough military officer and a soft, almost childlike man with a heart of gold and a strong sense of justice and compassion. Daniel was pretty sure that it was this combination that attracted Sam – because she was almost identical in those two ways. He also knew that both of them shared a strange and off-the-wall sense of humor. Sometimes he didn't get it – but Sam always seemed to enjoy it. Jack could make her laugh like no one else he knew.

So – that's what this had been about, he'd realized. Jack was jealous of Reznick because he thought Sam had responded to the guy. He wondered if he should say anything to Sam. She was going crazy trying to figure out what had happened. On the other hand, Jack would find ways to kill him ever so slowly if he ever found out that Daniel had said anything. Nope – best leave things be. Maybe one day the two of them would work it out. In the meantime, he and Teal'c might as well sit back and suffer with their friends – and also enjoy it a bit, if he were being honest. It was kind of satisfying to see the both of them – normally so competent, so unflappable, completely muddled over each other.

"What are you thinking Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c suddenly asked, looking at his grinning friend. Jack glanced curiously at the scientist.

"Yeah – what are you grinning about?" he asked.

"Oh – nothing", he answered, trying to look innocent. "Just thinking about what crazy lives we lead."

"Yeah." Jack looked down at his plate and was surprised to see that he'd eaten everything. He barely remembered what he'd had. He stood up and looked down at his two friends. "I'm gonna go see how Carter's doing", he explained. "Don't want her to work too hard."

"She always works too hard Jack", Daniel answered.

"Yeah, but it's my job -"

The siren that interrupted his words made everyone jump. It was the last thing they had expected.

"What the hell?" Jack moved quickly to the door, followed immediately by Daniel and Teal'c. Before they'd reached it however, a young Captain – Lewis if he remembered correctly – came bursting through.

"We're under attack Colonel", he gasped. "Aliens!"

His first thought was about Carter – all alone in her lab. He had to go and make sure she was safe.

"Damn", he swore. The day had started out badly – and had just gotten significantly worse.


	16. Rescuing Sam

She was angry! No, she took that back – she was furious. She'd spent how many hours, days, weeks studying the stupid box and now the Colonel simply wanted to stop the whole thing and just throw it away? Any why? Because he'd gotten pissy at Major Reznick and thrown him against a wall. Oh yeah – just because Jack O'Neill couldn't handle himself, it meant the whole damn experiment had to come to a stop.

She slammed the alien box on the table and started gathering up her notes to take back to earth. Not that they really said anything. She'd barely discovered a thing – other than it responded to the Colonel. Why the hell did he want her to stop? Who knows what they could find out if they kept going?

Yeah – and who knows what it could do, another internal voice argued. She knew that when once she calmed down she'd recognize that the Colonel was probably right – but still, that didn't mean she was any less angry. Right now if he'd walked into the room she would have been tempted to zat him!

Daniel had been helping her for a while but he'd finally escaped – probably valued his life too much, she snorted. Yeah – right now she was more than happy not to see any of the Sg1 men. She felt like throwing a hissy fit and didn't need them around to witness it.

Eventually she did grow calmer, although the disappointment still weighed her down. She laughed softly as she recalled the Colonel's expression before he left the lab. She knew him well enough to know that he'd made a strategic retreat. He'd known he'd pissed her off and he didn't want to stay around to deal with her.

"Coward!" she muttered – although immediately she shook her head. If there was one thing she couldn't accuse the Colonel of it was that. He was probably the bravest man she'd ever met. Oh, he could be foolhardy and was often impatient and cynical – and sometimes downright irritating, but cowardly he wasn't.

No, the Colonel was a strong man – and she respected him for it. She knew that as much as she was angered by his decision, that he had made it because he thought it was the right one. And, to give him his due, he hadn't backed down, even when she'd tried to use all her wiles to get him to change his mind. She acknowledged to herself that that was one of the reasons she – cared – for the Colonel so much. He was the first man she'd ever known who liked her and respected her, but refused to cater to her.

Just about every other man she'd ever met either worshipped the ground she walked on or was so intimidated by her that he'd do whatever she asked. Jack – the Colonel – did neither. Oh, he clearly liked and respected her, that she knew. But he also recognized all her warts and weaknesses, and often teased her unmercifully about them – but he also still liked her even with them. And he certainly had never seemed to be the slightest intimidated by her – puzzled, confused, sometimes in awe of her abilities, but never intimidated. If anything, he would often burst her bubble by coming up with a solution to a difficult problem she'd been unable to solve – and usually it was just a carelessly thrown away comment that would do it.

No, she couldn't stay mad at the Colonel for long. He knew the dangers, better than anyone, of alien technology and what it could do if not treated with respect. She also had to acknowledge that he had good reason to be fearful of what the object might do. He'd obliterated one man – or Goa'uld – and had hurt another innocent man. She huffed loudly, hating the fact that he was right. She had _so_ wanted to figure out how the damn thing worked.

She was continuing to pull all her notes and equipment together when she heard an odd sound. At first it was so faint that she ignored it, but after a couple of minutes it grew louder. It almost sounded like the rumbling of thunder, but since the day had been totally bright and cloudless she didn't think that could be it.

She shrugged and decided she'd better check to make sure. Storms could come up pretty quickly and she'd rather not get soaked walking back to her quarters. That would just be the cherry on top of the rest of this awful day.

She opened the door but didn't see anything. The noise had stopped, although she was still curious as to what it could have been. Looking up to the totally blue sky, she discounted the weather. Still – _something_ had made a noise. She took a few steps outside the lab and looked around. Nothing. She decided that she'd better radio in to the base to find out from the Colonel what could be making that noise.

She'd barely turned around when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. She swung back, hoping it was one of her teammates or an airman coming to get her. Instead, she saw a group of people – strangely dressed – walking towards her. In the time it took her heart to beat just once she knew that these people were not here for a friendly visit. Her one thought was to get to her radio warn the others. Unfortunately she didn't even make it back through the door before something hit her and that was the last thing she knew.

Jack hurried out of the mess and ran towards the command center. He'd told Teal'c to run and warn Sam. He'd wanted to go himself, but knew he had to remain here. He was in charge of the whole base and he couldn't let his personal feelings for one person get in the way of his responsibilities.

He'd barely reached Reznick's office when he heard the sounds of weapons being fired. He didn't recognize the sound so hoped that meant the attackers weren't Goa'uld. Who they could be, of course, he had no idea. If anything he supposed, they could be worse than Goa'uld.

Fortunately the Alpha site was set up in such a way to have maximum defenses in case of attack. It was designed to be 'earth's last stand' in case their home planet was attacked. The men and women on the base were highly trained and had spent hours in drills with just this scenario in mind.

Jack was incredibly proud of the way everyone responded and for now they were holding their own. So far the gate was in their control and he thought briefly about having someone go and send a message to General Hammond asking for back-up. Before he had a chance to do so, however, the alien weapons stopped firing.

The silence that followed was eerie. The old cliché – 'the calm before the storm' popped in to Jack's mind. He was pretty sure the lack of firing wasn't a good sign.

"Who is the leader of this outpost?" a deep, male voice called from behind the tree-line. "Come show yourself or the woman dies!"

Woman? Crap! Jack looked out the window and could just see a bit of blond hair which knew had to be Sam's.

"Crap!" he said again. Now what?

"Jack?" Daniel looked at him, waiting for him to reply to the alien.

He looked at his friend, knowing what he had to do. He opened his mouth to shout back and introduce himself when he had a sudden thought. "Daniel, tell them you're our leader and keep talking to them." If there was anything Danny was good at, it was that.

"What?" Daniel looked at him, totally confused. "You want me to -"

"Tell them you're the leader of this outpost. Just stall them for a bit."

"But what are you going to do?" Daniel was puzzled – this was totally unlike Jack. He was always the first to take responsibility for things.

"Daniel please! Just do it. I'm heading over to Sam's lab. DO IT NOW!"

"Okay, okay." Daniel opened the door a crack and just poked his nose out. "Uh hi", he answered. "Nice to – uh – meet you."

Jack closed his eyes briefly and then took off his jacket. "Daniel – give me your shirt." Daniel was wearing a black tee-shirt which would be much less conspicuous than his own uniform jacket.

"What?"

Poor Daniel, he thought briefly, this is all much too confusing for the poor man. "Just give me your shirt. I won't stand out as much. Here", he said, handing Daniel his jacket, "put this on – it'll make you look more important."

"Thanks Jack!" he answered sarcastically.

"I say again – who is your leader", the voice boomed out once more.

"Okay, do your stuff Daniel – and for God's sake, try and act - fierce or something."

Daniel looked disgusted and rolled his eyes, but agreed to do his part.

"Hello – I am Commander Daniel Jackson, leader of this outpost. Who are you and what do you want? Why have you attacked us?" There – he could do 'fierce' and be a leader. It really couldn't be all that hard.

"Commander Jackson, we are the Tristai and we lay claim to this world. You will surrender now, or the woman will be sacrificed. We also have many more men than you and more will be coming. If you do not concede, not only will we kill the woman, we will also kill the rest of your people. If you surrender we will show mercy and let you live."

"Uh – living is nice. What will you do with us then?" He had to keep them talking until Jack got to the lab. He hadn't said, but Daniel was pretty sure he was going to go get the box. He hoped it would work.

"You will serve the Tristai – the true servants of the Lord."

Oh great – religious fanatics, Daniel thought – they were always the worst kind. "Uh – sorry, we don't do slavery", he answered. "We gave it up a long time ago and we're much happier for it. You should try it – it's quite 'liberating'."

"Enough – you will surrender now! I am sure you do not want us to hurt the woman. She will suffer much pain and then she will die!" To prove his point the alien must have done something to Sam because suddenly Daniel heard her scream in agony.

Oh God! What should he do? He couldn't let Sam get hurt but he had to stall. "Okay, okay – we'll surrender – but there's something we need to do first."

"There is nothing you need to do – you must surrender or you all die."

"Fine – but if you want your 'slaves' alive – and yourselves too for that matter, you'll first let me disarm the self-destruct."

There was silence which seemed to go on for a long time, although in reality Daniel figured it could only have been a few seconds. Then the voice spoke again.

"What do you mean – what is this 'self-destruct'?"

"Well, it's a weapon we have for our defense. If we're attacked it arms itself automatically. When it goes off anything within quite a few miles is totally obliterated."

"You _lie_!" old alien voice practically yelled. "If this were true, why would you have told us this?"

"Because I really don't want to die", he answered. "Normally we can turn it off when the threat is over, but now we only have a few minutes. I'd really rather not be blown up and I'm sure you'd rather spend your day some other way than being killed."

There was another pause and then the alien answered. "What do you need to do to disarm it?"

"Uh", oh great! Now he had to think up a really good answer. If only Sam were here she could – wait! Sam! "I can't do it alone", he shouted in reply. "I need my scientist to do it."

"Well get him and have him turn it off now."

"There's only one problem with that", he answered. "You're holding her. You've got my scientist and she's the only person who can turn it off."

Jack circled in behind the command center and slowly made his way around towards the lab. He prayed there were no aliens there. They had Sam so they may have taken the building over or left someone to guard it. Still, all he needed to do was get his hands on the box.

He moved as quietly as he could, knowing that if he was discovered that would be the end of it. He could hear Daniel shouting at the alien and had to grin when he heard what his friend had come up with. Way to go, he thought. Daniel had certainly learned a lot over the years. He just hoped the aliens didn't ask what the name of this planet was. Daniel was likely to answer 'Oz'.

After a few minutes he'd made his way to the edge of the trees and now had a few hundred feet to cross, without being seen. He needed a diversion and wished he'd thought to bring some C4. Damn! He lifted his radio and spoke into it softly. "Daniel, you there?"

"I'm here Jack – where are you?" Daniel answered in a whisper. Good man!

"I'm just across from the lab but I need some kind of diversion to make it over without being seen. Is there anything you can do?"

"Geesh – I don't know Jack – I'm trying to get them to let Sam go, but I haven't heard anything in a few minutes. I'm afraid if I do anything more they'll hurt her."

"O'Neill?" Teal'c's voice came over the radio. "I may be able to help. Just wait a moment."

"Okay Teal'c – thanks." God – he didn't want to think about Sam. Hostage situations were always dangerous and he was pretty sure the aliens would be jumpy as hell. He hoped Daniel's ploy worked.

"Where is this 'self-destruct', the alien shouted again. "The woman will disarm it, but we will remain with her."

"Okay, but I have to be there too", Daniel answered. "It won't respond without the base commander. It's uh – here, with me."

There was rustling in the trees and then Sam was pushed out, closely followed by three men. Daniel could see that her face looked bruised and she was walking stiffly, as if in pain. Damn – he hoped they hadn't hurt her badly.

One of the men kept a tight hold on her as they walked and the other two were looking around carefully, clearly suspicious of what was happening.

No one expected the blast that suddenly tore through the silence of the afternoon. It was strong enough to throw the aliens with their human hostage to the ground, although not strong enough, or close enough, to do any serious damage.

It didn't take long for the invaders to regain their feet and the leader – 'deep voice' as Daniel started to refer to him, began to shout. He grabbed Sam and pulled her to her feet and shoved his weapon into the side of her head.

"Why should I not kill her?" he called. "We clearly cannot trust you."

"That was just the first in the sequences of the self-destruct", Daniel improvised quickly. "No one was hurt – it just uh – set off the countdown. I need Sam – your hostage – now or it will be too late!"

The alien leader blinked and then began to shove his prisoner forward. Sam looked straight ahead to the building where Daniel was hidden, and wondered what in hell was going on.

"Thank you Teal'c!" Jack muttered as soon as he heard the blast. Before the sound of the explosion had even died out he'd begun to run across the clearing, keeping as low as he could.

He made it to the lab and so far hadn't seen anyone, although he knew they could easily be hiding. He knew it was highly likely that someone had been left inside the lab to guard the 'spoils' of war.

He made his way around the back of the building. Although there were no windows, there was a small access door which led into a storeroom and then into the main part of the lab. The door was locked and it could only be opened with a special code. Fortunately – he knew the code. Sometimes it paid to be in charge.

As he crouched down and reached out for the pin pad he prayed that some engineer hadn't decided to add tones to the buttons. The last thing he needed was to announce his presence.

Fortunately there was no sound as he input the code and he was pretty sure the soft 'click' of the door wouldn't have been heard more than a couple of feet away. He slowly pushed the door open, keeping his head down, and finally made his way into the storage room.

It took a few seconds for his eyes to accustom themselves to the darkness, but once he could see he made his way to the door leading into the lab. He stood there and listened but everything seemed to be silent. Just as he was about to push the door open, however, he thought he heard a soft sound coming from the other side.

He froze and listened again. Yes, there it was – there was someone in the other room. They must have been standing silently, but every once in a while he or she moved slightly. Probably to keep from falling asleep, thought O'Neill.

Okay – here's hoping there's only the one of them, he thought. He reached down to the handle and slowly pressed down. The door was metal and he tensed as he moved the handle, expecting a loud noise as the door released.

Again, though, some engineer had been very smart and the opening of the door was almost totally silent. He took a deep breath and then opened it fully, at the same time launching himself into the lab.

He looked around the room at the same time he threw himself forward and immediately saw the shocked look of an alien guard. Jack raised his zat and shot the alien, who immediately dropped onto the floor. Before his victim had even reached the ground, O'Neill was checking out the rest of the lab for others.

He let out a small sign of relief when he discovered that there had only been the one guard. He walked over to the man – guy – alien – whatever, he shrugged, to see him still dealing with the after affects of the zat. Jack knew from personal experience how awful it felt to get hit by one of those.

He also knew how fast one could recover from the effects so he quickly bound and gagged the intruder before the guy had time to regain his senses. When he did he glared at Jack in such a way that made the Colonel glad the man was incapacitated.

Okay – he looked around the lab. Where did Sam put the damn thing? He hoped and prayed that the aliens hadn't discovered it somehow and taken off with it. After a couple of minutes of frantic searching he began to curse. If he couldn't find it they were in big trouble.

Just then he noticed a box sitting by itself on a shelf. He walked over and saw that it was some kind of containment box with warning labels all over it. Reaching for it he hoped he'd found the box. If so, all he had to do was save Carter and the rest of the men and women on Alpha. Piece of cake!

Sam's captives were holding on to her tightly. There was no way they were going to let her go anytime soon, although she wished they wouldn't hold on quite so fiercely. She knew she was going to have some wicked bruises – if she survived of course.

She'd already discovered that whoever these aliens were, they were not a kind and gentle bunch. They'd held some kind of energy weapon on her which had sent incredible pain streaking through her body. In some ways it reminded her of the Goa'uld hand device, but if anything the pain was worse. They hadn't just left it at that however. No – the leader – at least she was pretty sure that's who he was, had grabbed her by the hair and had slapped her hard across the face. She hadn't responded that time, although she'd had to bite her lip hard to keep from crying out. She could tell that the alien enjoyed causing pain and she worried about what would happen to the other men and women on the base.

Sam had been astonished when the alien had called out and she'd heard Daniel respond that he was in charge. She'd had a moment of panic, thinking that something had happened to the Colonel. A moment of reflection, however, made her think that something else was going on. Daniel's voice was just too – strange. He didn't sound grief stricken, which he would have if Ja- er the Colonel had been hurt or killed. No, there was something going on – she just wished she knew what it was.

She was further astonished when she heard Daniel speaking about the self-destruct. He was clearly stalling for time and she had to applaud his brilliance. Even she half-way believed him when he spoke about the danger. His ruse also clearly pointed to something going on – something she was sure the Colonel was involved in.

So – all she had to do was wait for her teammates to do something – and for an opportunity to escape. She figured the latter was pretty unlikely. They kept a close eye on her at all times and were very quick and very strong.

When the explosion hit she'd been thrown to the ground. Her first thought was that _this_ is what O'Neill had been up to – but a few minutes later she questioned that theory. This had definitely created a diversion, but other than that hadn't seemed to accomplish anything other than anger the aliens.

The alien's grip was punishing and she could tell he was on the verge of losing his temper. It wouldn't take much for him to kill her, she knew. Not only that, she suspected he wanted to – that the only reason he hadn't so far was because he more than half believed Daniel's claim of imminent self destruction.

It had been a great idea of Daniel's, she thought once more. The only problem was she didn't know what the hell they were going to do when it became apparent there _was_ no self-destruct weapon.

"Stop right there", Daniel's voice rang out as they approached the building he was in. The 'commander' of the invading forces halted and jerked Sam to a stop beside him.

"What? I bring the woman to assist. Why are you stopping us?"

"Because I sure as hell am not going to let all of you in here", he told them. "One of you can come in with Sam."

"That is not acceptable", the alien answered. He pulled the woman even closer and his hand tightened. "You will let us in or I will hurt her", he continued.

The enemy commander moved quickly then and pulled Sam's behind her back and forced it up at an unnatural angle. He kept up the pressure until she began to sweat. She bit her lip to keep from crying out, but when there was a pop – followed by a sharp pain in her elbow, she couldn't help but gasp.

Sam felt like she was going to be sick. The pain was terrible and she knew her elbow had been dislocated. What made it worse was the commander kept up the pressure and she could feel the ligaments begin to tear. She knew that already there was serious damage and if he kept it up he could cause permanent injury.

She gasped again and then fell forward. The pain from that movement caused her to black out momentarily, but at least the alien let her go. She dropped to the ground and began to throw up. Her arm lay bent at an unnatural angle behind her but the pain didn't get any better.

"What the _hell_ did you do?" Daniel shouted from inside. "You didn't need to hurt her!"

"You did not cooperate", the commander said calmly. "You will let us in now or I shall be pleased to hurt her again."

"NO!" Daniel shouted. "No", he said again, more softly. "How is she supposed to fix the self-destruct if she's hurt?" Maybe he could reason with the guy.

"She does not need her legs and she still has one good arm. I could also disfigure her face", he said without emotion. "That will not affect her ability to stop the device."

Where the hell are you Jack, Daniel wondered? He just prayed that the Colonel hadn't been captured or hurt – or worse, killed.

"Look – I said we'd cooperate – I just don't want all of you in here."

"You will let us in now Daniel Jackson, or I will again hurt the woman."

"I don't think so", a calm voice sounded from behind the aliens.

Thank God, Daniel whispered. "Jack – they've hurt Sam", he called.

"I know Daniel – they won't do it again", Jack answered.

The invading troops had turned quickly when they heard the man behind them. Their leader glared at the one standing no more than ten feet from them. He raised his weapon but before he had a chance to do anything the man spoke.

"Nah ah", Jack said. "I wouldn't do that", he nodded at the weapon. "I might have to hurt you."

"Hurt us? You do not even have a weapon."

"Actually, I do." Jack pulled his right arm from behind his back and showed the aliens the zat. He had brought the box with him and was holding that in his left hand. It had opened immediately but he figured it looked pretty innocuous.

The enemy commander laughed, as did the men with him. Sam lay totally still on the ground, knowing that the Colonel had something up his sleeve, although she didn't know what. From where she was lying she couldn't see what he was holding – but she did know she trusted him.

"You are pathetic", one of the other invaders shouted out. This caused all of them to laugh even more. "You think you will hurt us with _that_?"

"Uh – not really." Jack glanced down at the zat and turned his hand as if examining it. "No – but I will get rid of you if you don't back off."

Suddenly the head alien frowned. "Who _are _you?" he asked. There was something about this man that worried him. He knew they could easily shoot him, but he'd motioned to his men to not do anything – not until he found out more information.

"Me? Uh – I'm in charge of this place", his gesture indicated the base in front of him.

"_You_ are the leader?"

"Yeah, that would be me."

"Then who is Daniel Jackson? He told us he was the leader of this place."

"He lied", Jack answered. "He's always doing that. I've told him and told him to stop – but he never listens to me. He has delusions of grandeur", he explained. "I'm sure_ you_ know what it's like" he said, addressing this to the commander. "You turn around and those under you are trying to take over and get rid of you. You've got to be careful."

The other man glanced quickly at the men by his side. Uh ho, thought Jack – I've hit a nerve.

The alien began to speak. "He said there was a self-destruct." He frowned at that, seeming to realize quite a bit of time had elapsed and nothing had yet happened, except for the small explosion. He straightened up at that point, tired of this and ready for it to be ended.

"Nah – Daniel lied about that too. There's no self-destruct."

"Enough!" the commander said furiously. He lifted his weapon and pointed it at Jack. After a couple of seconds however, he grinned and moved it towards Sam. "Is she your special woman?" he asked, noticing how the human had tensed up. "Do you want her to live?"

"Oh yeah", answered Jack softly. This time there was no humor in his voice.

Sam had a brief thought, wondering what Jack had been agreeing to – was it simply that he wanted her to live – or was he also agreeing to the first question. She knew she wasn't thinking too clearly, but she really hoped it was the former.

"So – you care for this one?" the alien asked, kicking Sam in the side.

Jack's nostrils flared – he really wanted to kill this guy but held onto his temper carefully. "Yes, I care for her", he answered, "a lot! So, I expect you to be nice to her. If you touch her again, I will kill you."

"You will", the alien laughed, "How do you propose to do that?" He kicked the woman at his feet again.

The kicks weren't hard enough to do any serious damage, but they did hurt. Sam tried to move away, but that brought even more pain so she settled down. Jack – now would be a good time to do something.

"Kind of like this", Jack answered the alien's question holding up the box.

Jack knew he had to be very careful and not let his anger get the best of him. Even though the aliens had attacked them and were clearly dangerous, he needed to find out some information from them – like who the hell they were and where they came from. He couldn't do that if he made them all disappear.

"_Jack_?" Daniel's voice came as a warning from inside the command building. He wasn't sure what Jack had in mind, but he really hoped he wasn't going to obliterate their enemy.

"Don't worry Danny – I'm thinking of putting them to sleep."

"Yeah – okay – that sounds good."

"Indeed O'Neill", Teal'c answered from behind the tree line. "Although you should hurt the large one", he said, referring to the commander. "He hurt Major Carter."

"I do not know what you are doing", the alien spoke loudly – furious at the antics of the people on this world. "You will place your weapon and _that_" – pointing at the open box – "on the ground. If you do not do so immediately she dies!"

"No – in fact I think you're about to drop _your_ weapon and then you're going to fall over in pain – lots and lots of pain. Your friends – all of them – are going to go to sleep until I tell them to wake up."

The words had barely left the Colonel's mouth when all of those things happened. The leader dropped his weapon and clutched his stomach. The next second he was rolling around the grass in what looked like agony.

The other invaders simply dropped to the ground where they stood. Their faces were relaxed and it was evident they were sound asleep.

Jack grinned although he grew serious almost immediately. He rushed over to Sam and knelt down beside her.

She looked up at him, her face pale and covered in sweat. "Nice job Sir", she whispered.

"Hey Carter – I'm sorry about this", he pointed to her arm. "I should have been here sooner."

"It's fine Sir – I'll be okay. You got here when you could and that's all that matters."

"Hey Jack – are they all out?"

"Yeah – except for leader boy here", he indicated the deep voiced man who was still writhing around in pain. Jack sighed – any more would be torture. "He'd better go to sleep too." The alien immediately grew quiet.

Jack turned back to Sam and gently reached out and touched her swollen arm.

"Ow", she said before she could stop herself. "I wouldn't touch it Sir."

"It's okay Sam", he answered, still holding on. He closed his eyes and simply wished that Sam was better and that her arm was healed – and of course the pain was all gone.

"Colonel." Her voice drew him back and he opened his eyes. She was smiling at him, looking much better. "It's okay now Sir. You healed it."

Sure enough - he looked at her arm and it was better. He knew he should let her go but he enjoyed any opportunity to touch her – especially since these moments were rare. He also wished she knew how he felt about her – how much he loved her. He wished the regs weren't in the way and that they could be together. He opened his eyes, knowing it couldn't be.

"Sir?" she was looking at him with a strange expression on her face.

"What Carter? You okay?"

"Uh – yes Sir", she answered, glancing at the box.

He looked down at it, having forgotten all about it in the last few moments. "Oh – yeah." He set it down carefully beside him and it snapped shut. He then looked up at Sam – still wondering if something was bothering her. She continued to look half stunned and he started to get a strange feeling. He tried to shake it off, knowing they had more important things to deal with.

"You were holding the box", she said suddenly, as if that explained everything.

He frowned, puzzled. "Yeah I know Carter but I've put it down now. Are you worried that I broke it or something."

"No Sir – it's just", she swallowed. "Nothing Colonel, it's okay."

She slowly raised her eyes and looked directly at him. What he saw in her eyes made his breath hitch. She was looking at him with and expression he didn't remember seeing before.

Suddenly breaking eye contact with the Colonel she slowly looked around. "What do you think we should do with the aliens?" she said. "And then there's the box. It did save our lives."

"Yeah, I know." He sighed. "The aliens are going to be easier to deal with then the box I'm afraid. I think I'll just wake one of them up in a little while and find out who they are. Then we'll have to figure out where to send them."

She nodded and didn't know quite what to say next. She really wanted to go find a hole to crawl into and to figure out what had just happened. She was sure the Colonel didn't realize that she had – heard – his thoughts when he had the box in his hand. Actually, it wasn't that she'd heard it – more like 'sensed' it. Whatever had happened she'd gotten the clear message that the Colonel – Jack – cared for her. She had wanted to immediately tell him how she felt but then had realized he didn't know she knew. They were his private thoughts and she couldn't let on. And the truth was duty called as it always did, and the regulations were still there.

"Hey Jack – Sam – everyone's okay. There were no casualties on our side although we found a couple of wounded aliens. Teal'c has gone to find their ship with a few of the men. Do you guys have any idea of who they were?"

"No – nothing yet. I haven't woken any of them up. I wanted a bit of a breather first."

"Oh – and Jack – _'He lied!"_ What the hell was that? I did what you told me to do."

Jack grinned and shrugged. "Sorry – couldn't help it. It was kind of fun though."

"Yeah – fun!" Daniel made a rude noise. "Try distracting an alien bent on death, destruction and torture and see how much fun it is!"

Things quickly got down to business and Jack had to put his personal feelings aside. Like always, he thought. He snorted once and then got to work. Cleaning up after an alien invasion was always a time consuming business!

As he went about his duties that afternoon, Jack couldn't help but feel somewhat depressed. He had realized again how much he cared for Sam. He sighed and knew he had to simply continue to do his duty. Damn – sometimes he really hated it!

He would have felt much better had he remembered the _other_ thing he'd thought while holding the box. He'd wished for a way for things to work out – for them to be together. And so far, the box had never failed.


	17. Clean Up

In the end it turned out that there weren't that many Tristai at all. In fact, there were no more than twenty of them altogether. They had been bluffing, or at least that's what it looked like although until they woke one of them up they wouldn't know for sure. There could be more of them coming from space but for now, things looked like they were under control.

"Did you let General Hammond know", Daniel asked him as soon as he was done giving instructions to the Sergeant who had been helping him.

"Yes. He's sending Sg3 and 4 over in a bit to help with the clean up. Once all the aliens are secure I'll wake one of them up and we can find out who the hell they are." The Colonel was tired and irritated. He just wanted this whole thing over.

"Maybe we should contact the Tokra. They might know something about these guys."

"The General's already on it. It was the first thing he was going to do after I finished talking to him." He looked over at Teal'c who was helping bring all the sleeping Tristai to a central location. He had to grin as he watched his Jaffa friend unceremoniously dump the aliens in a heap. Teal'c was generally pretty impassive but you could tell when he was unhappy with someone – and he was very clearly unhappy with their invaders.

He didn't know where Carter was although if he had to make a guess it was that she was off checking the alien spacecraft. She'd want to discover anything she could about their technology and see if any of it was usable. She too was pretty miffed at them and with good reason. She was the one who had had to bear the brunt of their viciousness.

He felt awful that she'd been hurt, but thankful that he'd been able to heal her. The problem was, as happy as he was about helping Carter, he still felt slightly freaked out about the whole box thing. He didn't want or need that much power but if he knew anything at all about the NID and the Air Force brass, it was that they would want that box and they'd want him to use it.

He watched silently as the men and women of the Alpha site got things quickly back in order. It never ceased to amaze him how resilient humanity could be. He knew that these were some of the best men and women in the service – they had been hand-picked as earth's last line of defense – and yet they still impressed him with how well they had handled the invasion. He was pretty sure they would have eventually done just fine without him, although they may not have been able to do anything in time to help Sam.

"Everything is in order O'Neill. All of the aliens have been retrieved." Teal'c stood silently before him and he marveled at the calm certainty of his Jaffa friend. There was very little in this world that seemed to faze Teal'c. He was _so_ grateful to have this man as his ally.

"Thanks Teal'c. Once everything is in order we'll find out who they are and then get out of here. I'm ready to get back home."

"I too am tired of this place O'Neill. I am also hoping to return in time to watch a program on the Discovery Channel."

"Really?" Jack looked at him in surprise. "What program?"

"It is an adventure program about man vs wild animals."

"Uh – okay, sounds interesting."

"I am certain it shall be. I am especially interested in the polar bears. Is there anything else you would have me do?"

"No, I think that's – wait, where's Carter?"

"She is examining the alien spacecraft", Teal'c told him. "Would you like me to get her for you?"

"Nah – I'll go. I kind of want to see it myself."

"It is nothing special. I believe they were nothing more than space pirates. Their ship appears to be old and put together with 'spit'."

"Spit?" Jack grinned.

"Yes. Is not that the correct expression?"

"Yeah, that's good enough Teal'c. I'm proud of you", he said as he began to move away. "You're becoming more 'earthy' every day." He laughed at the eyebrow raise _that_ comment caused.

After being pointed in the right direction by an Airman it didn't take long to reach the aliens' ship. As soon as he saw the vessel he knew what Teal'c had meant. It _did_ look like it had been put together with 'spit' as his friend had said. He was pretty sure that the space aliens had scavenged parts from different spaceship and had simply put them together. Some pieces barely seemed to fit and it almost looked like someone had taken a sledge hammer to them to _make_ them fit. It was a hodge-podge of different parts, most of which looked like they were on their last legs.

"Carter", he called out as he drew closer. He heard an 'ooph' and her head poked out from the doorway. She was rubbing her scalp and based on the noise she'd made she must have bumped her head.

"Oh, hi Sir", she said as soon as she saw him. He noticed that she wouldn't quite look him in the eye and he wondered again what was wrong. He kind of figured it was something he had done, but couldn't figure out what it was. Maybe she was still mad over him stopping the experiments on the box.

"Carter, how are things going?"

"Fine Colonel. I've just been checking out their ship – and I gotta say I don't know how they managed to fly this thing. It's nothing but a collection of rusted out old parts. I haven't found anything the least bit interesting so far – although I _have_ discovered that men are the same throughout the universe – regardless of whether they're human or not."

"Uh – okay Carter – now I'm curious. _How_ are men the same?"

She pulled out what looked like some pages and handed them to him. All it took was a quick glance to realize he was looking at some kind of alien porn! The 'women', if you could call them that, were not quite human looking – although most of the parts were pretty similar. Their coloring was rather bizarre but he could certainly understand why a man – or alien – would enjoy this.

"Sir!"

He glanced up at an irritated looking Major. "I was just checking to see if there was anything that would tell us about the aliens", he justified his long perusal of the picture.

The soft 'snort' from his 2IC was telling and he gave a sheepish shrug. "You'll have to take them and show them to General Hammond", he said wickedly. He couldn't help but grin when he saw her look of panic. "Just kidding Sam. I think you can leave them here."

"You sure you don't want them Sir?" she asked him naughtily.

He couldn't help but smile since this was the first 'normal' Sam reaction he'd gotten from her since the episode with the box. "Nah – that's okay. I have much better ones at home." His grin got wider as she choked and then turned a bright pink.

"So – if there's nothing here I guess you're ready to head back?" he asked, deciding to take her out of her misery.

Sam looked around the ship one last time. "Yeah – I'll let the scientists at the SGC get in here and pull everything apart – they may be able to find something more interesting."

"I'm pretty sure if you didn't find anything Carter, then there's nothing to find. Come on, I'm going to wake up one of the Tristies and find out some information. I'd like you to be there."

"Certainly Sir, although I think it was the 'Trist_ai_'."

"Tristy, Tristai – potato, potawto Carter. Whatever they call themselves, I wanna find how who the _hell_ they are."

In the end they decided not to wake up 'Deep Voice'. "He's not gonna say anything", Jack explained. "He won't want to lose face. Let's just wake up one of the others."

He let Daniel decide which of the aliens to wake up, knowing his friend was a good reader of character, although whether or not he could tell anything when looking at a pile of snoring aliens was hard to say.

Jack hated the fact that he had to use the box again – every time he touched it he felt like it was becoming more powerful and less easy to control. Then again, it could have been that _he_ was the problem. Now that he knew that it somehow read his thoughts, he found it hard to keep his mind focused. On top of that, he was terrified that he was going to do something really stupid and get himself – or his friends – into trouble.

This time he was careful to hold it only briefly and think a quick thought about one of the sleeping invaders. Fortunately, the alien they ended up reviving was more than ready to talk. He took one look at Jack and his eyes practically popped out of his head. He was terrified, certain that the human in front of him had superhuman powers.

It didn't take long to discover that Teal'c had been right. They were a group of space pirates that would attack small settlements on any planet on which they happened to land. They would steal goods, food and whatever they could get their hands on. It also turned out that they were involved in the slave trade as it was one of the most lucrative of all their dealings.

"The Goa'uld pay a fortune for good hosts", he explained. "This would have been a good job as there are so many young, strong people here."

"Do the Goa'uld know about this place", Jack wanted to know. The Alpha site may no longer be viable if their enemies knew they were here.

"No - no one does. We just came on it by accident." The man didn't seem to be lying so Jack had to take him at his word, although they'd have to take every precaution, just in case.

"Our ship was having problems and we had to land", the alien continued. "It was only as we flew in close that we realized there were people here. Auntun told us there weren't very many of you and it would be an easy job." The man snorted in anger. "_Easy_! Now we're captured and probably going to be sold as slaves." Suddenly the man looked frightened as if he'd just had a new thought. His eyes pleading, he looked at Jack. "Are you going to kill us?"

The Colonel sighed and ran his hands through his short hair. What the hell was he going to do with these guys? They couldn't exactly take them to earth to be arrested, and yet there was no way he was going to let them go. For one thing, they would certainly tell people about the Alpha site.

"No – not if you don't try to escape", he said, answering the alien's question. "As for what we're going to do with you – well, I have a few friends to call before I can answer that one."

"It turns out that they come from a variety of different planets", the Colonel told his team later as they sat eating lunch. "I expect they are wanted in a number of places but I doubt we'll find out exactly where. I think the best thing is to hold them here until Hammond decides what to do with them."

"Are we to remain here Sir?" Carter asked.

"No. Reznick is on his way back in a little while. He's been cleared by the Doc so he'll take over here. We're to return to the SGC and report to Hammond. I'm afraid it's going to be a long debrief!"

Jack wasn't looking forward to this one. It wasn't the issue of the aliens so much – although that was tricky - it was the damn box that was giving him a headache. He didn't know what Hammond would do although he expected it was already out of the General's hands. He was sure the NID were drooling over the device.

He sighed, but when he noticed his teams' concerned gazes he tried to smile. "I'm looking forward to getting back", he said. "I've had enough of this place."

"Me too", Daniel replied, although he still looked worried. "Jack – everything'll be okay you know. Hammond's not going to blame you over the thing with Reznick, especially since you managed to save all of us from the pirates."

"I'm more worried about that then I am about Reznick, although I still feel bad about that.", he said softly.

"What do you mean", the younger man asked, a puzzled expression on his face. "It was a good thing that you saved us."

"I think the Colonel is worried about what the 'powers that be' are going to want to do with the box."

"The box is one thing", he answered, "my concern is what they're gonna want to do with me. We're kind of a package deal."

"Well just tell them no if they want you too", Daniel said angrily.

"Daniel, I would have thought you would have realized by now that it's a little difficult to say 'no' when you're part of the military. I'll probably be ordered to report to Area 51 where they'll want to do tests on me."

They all sat quietly for a few moments, contemplating the fact that what Jack had said was likely. With another sigh he stood up.

"Reznick should be here soon. I'm just going to check things once more and then we should be ready to go." With a small wave he walked out of the mess tent and back to his duties.

The others watched him go, worried about what was going to happen when they got back to earth.


	18. If Wishes Were Horses

_**Here is the looooooooonnnnggg delayed next chapter in my story. My apologies- as many of you are aware I have been concentrating on my other story but now I'm back.**_

_**Because it's been so long since I updated, I had to go back and reread the story before continuing. That is when I realized there was a part in both chapters 16 and 17 that I didn't care for. I edited them and suggest you reread at least those two chapters before continuing as the edits change the story slightly. Thanks for reading!**_

Jack waited at the Gate for Reznick to arrive. He needed to speak to the man alone, before his team and Reznick's people got to him. He didn't quite know what to say, but knew he owed the man a huge apology.

"Colonel", Reznick came through the blue of the wormhole and walked down the few stairs to stand in front of O'Neill. "Hello Sir? Can I ask where everyone is? I understood you would be returning to earth once I got back."

"They're cleaning up after the alien attack. We're heading back shortly, but I wanted to talk to you before – I – God Reznick, I'm sorry."

"What for Colonel?" he frowned, looking confused.

"For – almost killing you", Jack said with a grimace.

"Killing me? What? What are you talking about Sir?"

"It was me major – I'm the one who just about killed you. I – threw you against that wall."

"Uh, unless you were invisible at the time Sir, I don't think so."

"I wasn't there exactly, but I'm the one who caused it. You know, with that damned box!"

Reznick blinked slowly, as if trying to take in what O'Neill was saying. After a moment Jack began to feel rather uncomfortable.

"I see Sir." The Major's perplexed stare changed and he began to look slightly indignant. "No, on second thought, I don't see. What did I do Colonel? I thought I'd treated you with respectfully. I did everything you said – there was nothing – I don't understand."

"You didn't _do_ anything Major. It wasn't your fault, it was mine. I was just – in a bad mood and irritated at everything. Major Carter asked me to think of a threat and the next thing I knew the Lieutenant ran in saying you were hurt."

"So you saw me as a threat? But why?"

"I didn't", Jack lied. "I told you – it wasn't you. It was just coincidence that I was thinking about you – about the base – when Major Carter asked me to think of a threat. I – didn't mean to do anything like that and I'm really sorry. I'm going to tell General Hammond and I'll understand if you want to have charges brought against me."

Again Reznick was quiet. He then lifted his eyes and looked directly at O'Neill. "It was you that healed me, wasn't it? I mean, with all that blood – I should have been dead or brain damaged but after a few minutes I was totally fine. You did it, didn't you, with that box?"

"Uh – yeah I think so."

Reznick's face relaxed slightly and then he grinned. "Well then, I think it's okay. I know you didn't mean to hurt me Sir and I say we just forget about it."

"I – don't know if I'll be able to forget it that easily. God, I almost killed you." He took a deep breath. "You're sure Major? You have a right to be totally pissed with me."

Reznick laughed. "Well, to be honest Sir, the thing I'm most – pissed about – is missing all the excitement. I'm here for months and nothing happens and then the one day I'm gone all hell breaks loose, and I missed it."

Jack grinned. "Yeah, next time you'll know– when SG1 shows up trouble is sure to follow so try not to get thrown around and miss the fun. And thank you Major. You're a good man – and a good officer. I had meant to tell you – before I almost killed you – that you run a tight operation here. Your people were incredible and that shows what kind of commander you are. I'll make sure and tell General Hammond."

"Thank you Sir, I appreciate that. Uh Colonel – what's going to happen with the aliens?"

"We're not sure yet. I'm going to talk to Hammond and try to figure out what to do with them. In the meantime", he smirked, "they're yours."

"Thanks Sir!" the other man shook his head, but also smiled. At least they had something to keep them occupied. "And the box?"

O'Neill grew serious. "I don't know. I expect -"

"The NID are going to want it?"

"Oh yeah!"

By this time they had arrived at the first buildings at the Alpha site. Jack was looking to see his team when he heard Reznick clear his throat as if to speak.

"Was there something else Major?" Jack figured he owed this man, big time, so maybe there really _was_ something he could do.

"Uh – I'm wondering Colonel -"

"Yes?" he turned fully to face the Major.

"It's a personal matter Sir", he said diffidently.

"Oh - well fire away. I can't promise I'll help but – I'll try."

"Thank you Colonel. Uh – I'm wondering if you think Major Carter would mind it if I – you know, asked her out sometime."

Ah hell! He should have known this was coming. This is what had started the whole damn thing in the first place. Still, he couldn't very well warn the guy off. He didn't have any right to Sam and he really did owe the guy. With an internal sigh – and a supreme desire to kick something, Jack spoke.

"I really can't speak for Major Carter son. That's her personal life and none of my business. I suggest you ask her."

"Okay, Sir, I will. I just wanted to make sure that she's not – you know, taken or something."

"Not that I'm aware Major, although like I said, that's Carter's personal life and I'm not privy to what she does on her own time."

There – he'd gotten around that – sort of. He was pretty sure that Sam wasn't seeing anybody so Reznick probably had a clear shot. Hell, he'd better stay _far_ away from that box or he might just do the man more harm.

"Okay, thanks Sir."

"No problem Major", he answered softly. "No problem at all."

Jack stepped onto the ramp followed immediately by Daniel, Teal'c and then Sam. We're ho- ome", he called out in a sing-song voice. Walter grinned from his position up above and almost immediately the General appeared behind him.

"Welcome back Colonel. As soon as you're checked out I'd like to see all of you in the briefing room."

Jack grimaced, knowing he wasn't going to enjoy this. At least there didn't seem to be anyone else waiting for him, although he suspected that wouldn't last long.

He was relieved to see that the briefing room was empty when he arrived. No NID yet. He sat down and was soon followed by the rest of his team. A couple of minutes later General Hammond entered.

"So, it sounds like you had an exciting time of it people?", he asked.

"Yes Sir. It was – interesting, to say the least."

"Interesting?" Hammond raised his eyebrow. "Yes, well I'd say it was more than interesting. Any more thoughts on the aliens? Do we think they pose a threat?"

"No Sir", Sam interjected. "We believe they are a small band of roving space pirates. The only concern is that they _may_ have given away the position of the Alpha site although the one we interrogated said they hadn't. He said they only landed because they were experiencing problems with their ship and that it was unplanned. They've increased security at the Alpha site, but we think it's pretty doubtful that the aliens were able to let anyone know about the site."

"Okay – any ideas on what we're going to do with them then?"

There was silence around the table. Jack finally spoke. "I say we zap them three times!"

"While the idea has a certain appeal", the General said, "I'm afraid we really can't do that. Now, does anyone have any ideas – that we _can_ implement."

"What about the Tokra Sir?" Sam asked. "Maybe they'd take them."

"I'm afraid not Major. We contacted them and they don't have anywhere to put them. They did say that they could send one of their people with a Tel'tak if we have someplace to send the aliens."

Jack snorted. "And where would we take them? Are we supposed to just drop them off somewhere and say 'see ya later'?"

"Actually sir, that's not a bad idea", Carter said, looking deep in thought.

"It isn't? Okay – so where would we take them? I wouldn't want to wish those folks on anyone. They're criminals and slavers. I don't think any people we know would be too thrilled to have them plunked down on them."

"How about PXK 996?"

"PXK 996? Now why didn't I think of that? What could be more perfect than PXK 996? I mean – it's got – air, water, all the things anybody could want. Yup, PXK 996."

"You don't have any idea what that is, do you Sir?" Sam's voice was thick with laughter, although to give her her due, her expression remained serious.

"Nope – no idea."

"Hey, that's a great idea Sam", Daniel suddenly interjected. "PXK 996 would be perfect."

"Indeed Major Carter. That is a very good idea."

"And you're sure the natives wouldn't mind Major?" Hammond asked. "I know PXK 996 seems ideal but it wouldn't be wise to presume."

"I agree Sir. But I expect if we ask they'll agree to take the pirates. They're in no danger from them and who knows – the pirates may end up being influenced by them."

"Okay Major, good thinking. I'll get in touch with the Tokra and see if they'll give you a ride. Let's hope that this works. Now that we've hopefully dealt with the aliens, we need to talk about the alien box."

"WAIT!" Jack was looking between his friends and his commander. "Would somebody please tell me what the hell PXK 996 is?"

Sam giggled – she couldn't help herself. She looked around the table and realized that everyone was enjoying the moment – and had been intent on pulling the Colonel's leg. "Of course Sir. PXK 996 was the planet with the Luminae – the beings of pure energy. I thought of them because it's impossible for the pirates to hurt them. Besides that, they're gentle and peace loving – and are also empathic. I thought that might rub off on the pirates."

Jack stared at her. "Never heard of it."

This time Daniel smiled. "We know Jack. You were at home recuperating from the sprained ankle and we went with SG3."

"So why didn't I hear about these Luminators?"

"Uh – it was in our reports Sir", Sam told him.

"Oh, that explains it." He turned to the General. "Sounds like a good idea to me Sir."

Hammond slowly shook his head. "I'm glad you agree Colonel", he practically sniggered. "Now, if we can get on with our briefing. I understand that you had some problems with the alien box?"

Jack spent the next few minutes telling the general about what had happened with Reznick. "I'll understand if you want to charge me Sir", he said soberly. "I could have killed him."

"Hmmm, so I hear. I also hear you healed him."

"Yeah, but that doesn't change the fact that I flung him against a wall and bashed his skull in."

"Colonel, can you tell us why? Why did you end up hurting Major Reznick? Did you have something against the man?"

Jack couldn't maintain eye contact with the General, and immediately wanted to curse. Hammond would know something was up – and would realize that Jack wasn't telling the truth – at least not the whole truth.

"No", he said shortly, finally looking up at George. "No, Reznick is a good man and a good commander. I don't know what got into me Sir. I was just feeling – pissy – I don't know, maybe it was having to be there in the first place to test that damn box. I expect that's why I ended up hurting the Major. He must have represented the Alpha site in my head – and so he got hurt." Jack wanted to pat himself on the back. He figured that explanation sounded totally legit. His eyes moved around the table and everyone looked like they had bought it – everyone except Daniel, who was gazing at him with narrowed eyes. He shrugged slightly and then faced the General. "I'm terribly sorry Sir – and I told Reznick that as well."

"I spoke with the Major and he isn't interested in having you brought up on charges and neither am I. If I thought for one moment that you'd wanted to hurt the Major I would reconsider, but I know you Jack and I know you'd never go after someone unfairly. The bigger problem, it seems to me, is to figure out what to do about the damn box. It looks like it could be extremely dangerous and I'd like to hear what all of you are thinking."

"Uh, if I may ask a question first Sir?" Jack asked tentatively.

"What is it Colonel?"

"I was wondering – if you've heard yet from the NID?"

The General sighed and rubbed his bald head. "Unfortunately, yes. They're going to be here tomorrow."

Crap! He'd known it. "Why tomorrow Sir?" Jack asked, puzzled. He was sure they would have been waiting for him.

"Because I spoke to the President and asked for more time to figure things out. He agreed and gave me until tomorrow, after which time the NID move in."

"I see. And when they move in – I assume I'll be taken in 'protective custody'?" he said sarcastically.

"Actually, they want you to accompany the box to Area 51 where they plan to do some tests", Hammond told him gently.

"I see. Tests. Well, that sounds like fun. And what happens if I refuse?"

"I'm afraid you can't Colonel. They have the authority to have you accompany them. I tried to fight it as much as I could, but all I managed to do was give us a bit more time."

"I appreciate it Sir", Jack said heavily. "I – I assume the tests will be on both the box and me?"

"Probably, although you can refuse any invasive tests. The Air Force can't make you submit to those." Hammond said forcefully.

"But Sir, this isn't the Air Force – this is the NID and I suspect they pretty much do what they want, regardless of a person's rights."

Hammond looked pensive, although Jack noticed that he didn't refute what Jack had said – which gave the Colonel a sinking feeling. He really didn't relish the idea of being a lab rat.

"Wait a second Sir", Sam exclaimed, looking like she'd just discovered the cure for toenail fungus.

"What Major?" he asked hopefully. Looks like his Sam might do it again!

"What do we know about the box so far?" she asked.

"Uh – that it only opens for me although others can use it to control the gate."

"Okay – and what else do we know?"

"I guess – that it seems to respond to me, to my wishes." His confused face almost made her want to grin. Why she found a clueless Jack O'Neill so cute she would probably never figure out. "Hey, maybe that's it!" he said, his eyes twinkling.

"Sir?" Now she was clueless.

"I bet it's nothing more than a – a genie's lamp – you know, 'You have three wishes'. That kind of thing. Well, I've probably used up all of my wishes so maybe it won't work anymore."

"What if it gives you fifty wishes Jack", Daniel told him, "Or a hundred, or a thousand. Or maybe there are no end to the wishes."

"No genie is going to give an unlimited number of wishes Daniel", Jack said categorically.

"Oh, why not?" Daniel looked at him expectantly, looking forward to Jack's exposition on 'genie rules'.

"Because – because – it wouldn't be as much fun. I mean, after a while getting anything you want would get boring both for the guy getting the wishes and the genie who had to watch. Nope, I say the wishes have already run out."

Sam, Teal'c and General Hammond had all watched the interplay with various expressions of humor or resignation on their faces. Hammond shook his head. "Uh, Colonel, I don't really think we know for certain whether or not there _was_ a genie."

"No, but I bet there was", O'Neill said under his breath.

Sam jumped in before the General could show his irritation with O'Neill. "Uh, I think he may be correct Sir." She quickly continued when Hammond looked at her as if she was insane. "What I mean to say is that _someone_ must have made the box and have given it its powers. I don't mean that it was really a genie of course but it had to have come from somewhere – and someone."

"She's right General", Daniel answered quickly. "And it's logical to assume it was the Ancients since the writing is in that language."

"Exactly", Sam beamed at Daniel as if he was her young protégé. "That's why I think we should get in touch with Thor or maybe even the Nox. Either of them might know something about this."

"That's a good idea Major Carter. As soon as we're done here we'll try and contact both of them and see if either answer our call. In the meantime, genies or not, we need to figure out whether this thing still has 'wishes' left or whether it's defunct." Colonel -"

"- General", Oneill interrupted, a frown on his face. "With all due respect Sir, I'm not going to touch that thing again. I refuse to hurt someone and just give more fodder to the NID. I think we should just toss it out into space."

"And when the NID arrive?" Hammond wanted to know.

"We just tell them that we misplaced it Sir. We can say that we sent it to the drycleaners so that it would look nice and shiny for them and now it's nowhere to be found."

"I do not believe the NID would be fooled by such a ruse O'Neill", Teal'c said seriously. "I would suggest rather that you indicate that Cassie Frasier's dog ate it."

His three friends looked at him in astonishment but after a few seconds all smiled in amusement. "Teal'c", O'Neill said wondrously, "that was a joke!"

"Indeed O'Neill", Teal'c bowed his head.

General Hammond shook his head again. How is it that this team, each of whom could act like a total child when on base, was so incredibly successful? Maybe it was that very sense of humor, that quirky way of dealing with the world, that was their saving grace. Whatever it was, he needed to rein them in before they caused him to go bald.

"Okay people, as much fun as I know you are having, we have some important matters to discuss. Colonel, I understand your reticence to go through any more tests, although I still think it would be helpful if we could gather a bit more information. However I will leave it up to you to decide. As for the box, unfortunately it stays here. I'm under orders to deliver it tomorrow, with Colonel O'Neill to the NID."

"Maybe _you_ should get lost Jack", Daniel told him. "Without you it's no good anyway."

"If Colonel O'Neill goes missing tomorrow, he will be considered AWOL", the General said calmly. Jack grimaced and Daniel shrugged his apology.

"I'll be here Sir", O'Neill said, "although if they take me to the wacky farm, and you never see me again, you'll have wished that I _had_ just gotten lost."

"Don't worry Colonel, we'll make sure nothing happens to you. I've been assured that you will only be at Area 51 for a few short days and then you'll be able to return here."

Jack snorted – at the same time as Daniel. Neither Teal'c nor Sam said anything, although from their expressions it was clear what they were thinking.

Hammond sighed. He'd been given assurances by the President, although he few pretty cynical himself. God, he wished they'd never found that thing.

After the briefing was over, Jack made his way down to his office. He needed some time alone, to think about his options. There was no way in hell he was going to stay locked up in some lab somewhere doing test after test after test. The problem was, he was a little afraid that the NID _would _lose him – but only after they'd taken him away from here. He was sure General Hammond would receive a message telling him that one Jack O'Neill had run off and they couldn't find him. Good old George would know it was a lie but there'd be nothing he could do.

God, he really didn't know what he _should_ do. Should he just take off? But then he'd be in trouble. The other problem was he wouldn't put it past the NID to use his friends against him and the last thing he wanted to do was put them in danger. Maybe he should just go and refuse to cooperate. Yeah, as if they'd let _that_ happen.

"Sir?" Carter stuck her head around the door to his office.

He waved her in, suddenly relieved to have some company and to put away the dark thoughts. "Carter?" he said jovially. "What can I do for you?"

"Nothing Sir", she responded as she walked closer and took the chair he indicated. "I was just thinking about your situation."

"- and? Did you come up with something mind-blowingly brilliant?"

"Uh – not exactly Colonel", she replied a bit nervously. "I was just thinking about the box and its properties."

"Yeah – what properties?"

"I mean the ability it has to carry out your thoughts."

"Thoughts, not wishes?" he asked, a bit surprised.

"No – I was thinking about that Sir, and unless you 'wished' for Major Reznick to go flying through the air, I don't really think it's about wishes. I think it magnifies your thoughts and emotions and carries through on whatever action is appropriate."

"So, if I wished to win the lottery?"

"I don't know", she grinned. "You might be able to influence the numbers although I would doubt it. I kind of think it takes some kind of strong emotion or thought and the reaction seems to have to be relatively confined and appropriate."

"Are you sure? We didn't really get too much chance to test it." he told her.

"Well, I was thinking back to the tests that we were able to finish – before the Major was hurt."

"Before I hurt him you mean?" he asked with a twist of his lips.

"No Sir – it wasn't you. Look, can you tell me what you were thinking about when you were in the chair – when I asked you to think of something positive."

Looking terribly confused, O'Neill shut his eyes and tried to remember back – although in reality it wasn't that long ago – it just _felt_ that way.

"Uh – yeah, I was thinking about cake and ice cream."

"Is that all Sir?" she asked.

"Okay – no", he grumped. "I also thought aboutyou-n-abkni."

"Pardon Sir?" The look of confusion on her face should _not _be doing those things to your stomach O'Neill.

"Sir?" she asked again.

"Okay Carter, but you've got to promise me you won't bring me up on charges", he told her seriously.

"Charges?"

"Yeah – charges. Look, I wasn't exactly being – professional", he squirmed. "So okay, I thought about you in a bikini."

"Oh." Her eyes bore into his exactly like his power drill did. It was very uncomfortable. "But don't you see Sir", she finally got her cheeks under control and was able to reply. "If your 'wishes' could affect things then I would have been standing there in a bikini _and_ you would have had a huge bowl of ice cream and cake."

"Really?" he frowned. "But it didn't happen", he said, sounding terribly aggrieved. "No, I get irritated at Reznick and send him flying, but I can't even get you in a bikini!"

"I'm – rather glad Sir", she said. "Oh, not about the Major – I mean about the bikini."

"But I bet you look – sorry Major. My brain is fuddled right now."

"That's okay Sir. Look what I was trying to say is that I don't think this thing _will_ do everything you say. If you're calm and happy nothing seems to happen except you get tired."

"And I feel great!" Although come to think of it, that might just have been the bikini – which he wasn't about to tell Sam. "Now the calm and happy part, that's a problem because I don't think I'm going to be all that happy tomorrow when the NID comes."

"No, but we can get Janet to give you a sedative or something to calm you down and help you think positive thoughts."

"I don't think I want to think happy thoughts Major." And evil looking grin began to take shape on his face. "Maybe I should just go and think bad things about the NID. I could send them all to that bog planet we were on. Remember? The one with all the leaches and those slimy – disgusting, worm things!"

"You mean PP5 XJ5?" At first she looked worried but then a grin of her own began to appear. "You know Sir, maybe that's not such a bad idea. It'll certainly teach them a lesson!"

"Really?" he asked, rather surprised.

"Really – although I think we should modify it somewhat."

He looked at her strangely for a moment, and it was almost as if he could see the wheels turning in her brain. "Okay Carter, modify away!"

"Yes Sir", she grinned.


	19. Evil

"It's non-negotiable Colonel", Hammond said sharply. "I've already spoken with the President and he agrees. You _will_ take Major Carter with you and she will remain the entire time. She is under orders to be there through all the tests."

"You don't trust me General?" the Colonel asked.

"Not as far as I can spit Colonel Simmons. Colonel O'Neill is under my command and I take his safety and well-being very personally – as does the President. He has been told he can refuse any tests which are personally invasive. You have three days and then he is to be sent back – in the same shape he left here."

"I assure you General, we mean the Colonel no harm. We just want to figure out how we can use the weapon to defend earth, and so far it appears he is the only one who can operate it."

"Yes, well the fact is we don't even know if it _is_ a weapon. It could be nothing more than a – than a magic lamp!"

Colonel Simmons frowned in puzzlement. He'd often thought that Hammond was getting too old for this command and now he was sure of it. Still, he'd better try and appease the man, at least until he had what he wanted.

"I promise Sir, the Colonel will be in the best of hands."

"And Major Carter will be with him at all times!"

Simmons nodded his head but then turned as he heard a sound behind him. "Colonel O'Neill. The General was just giving me last minute notes on looking after you. I understand the Major is coming along to – babysit."

"Do I really have to go with this – uh - Sir?" O'Neill ignored Simmons and looked directly at Hammond. "I really don't think my stomach can take being in the same vicinity for any length of time. I'm sensitive to snakes Sir."

Hammond wanted to grin but instead forced himself to look serious. "Colonel O'Neill, I explained to Colonel Simmons that Major Carter was to remain with you at all times. I have also told him that the President and I both want to make sure you are returned in exactly the same shape as you left. You have my permission to refuse any kind of tests that are harmful to yourself or others."

"Thank you Sir", O'Neill nodded at the General. With a look of extreme distaste he finally turned his head towards the other Colonel. "Simmons."

"Colonel O'Neill, how nice to see you again."

"I'd say the same except I'd be lying", O'Neill said flatly. "So, can we get this show on the road? I want to make it back by Friday."

"You have something special on O'Neill?" Simmons smirked. "Stock car racing? A rib fest? Or maybe you're going to one of those – conventions? You know, the one where people dress up like aliens and walk around giving each other secret handshakes."

"No Simmons. I'm actually going to help build the new downtown youth center. You know – volunteer? Oops – sorry, I guess you wouldn't know about things like that. It's the sort of thing – decent people do. Sir", he said, turning to the General. "Is there anything else you need me for?"

"No Colonel", this time Hammond couldn't help but grin. "That's all. Just pick up Major Carter on your way. She'll have the box with her and is to keep it until you reach Area 51."

"Thank you General." Turning again to Simmons – who looked like he'd swallowed a Goa'uld – he sighed. "After you Colonel", he gestured with his arm. He gave one last look towards Hammond, who gave him a good luck sign. He figured he'd need it.

"You ready to go Carter?" he leaned his head into her office. Simmons tried to move in but he put his arm across the doorway, effectively stopping him.

"Yes Sir, I'm just making sure the box is secure in its case." She was checking out the heavy, insulated container which held the alien device.

He figured it was overkill, since the thing didn't really do anything – without him that was. Still, Carter was nothing if not careful. "Okay then let's blow this pop stand!" He watched as she picked up the container. He wanted to offer to help but knew it was best if he stayed far away from it.

"Colonel Simmons", Carter gave a brief nod in a miniscule show of respect and then walked out into the hallway, followed closely by Colonel O'Neill.

"Major Carter, would you like me to carry that for you?" Simmons said in a honey-smooth voice. "It looks rather heavy."

"I appreciate your concern Sir", she said, the politeness dripping from her voice. "But I'm fine. I'm used to this sort of thing – being an active field officer that is."

So _there_ you slimy toad, thought Jack. Simmons was nothing but a pencil pusher – an evil, manipulative one, but a pencil pusher nonetheless. "Yeah Simmons, we wouldn't want to tax your – uh – strength, you might not be able to sign away people's lives in the future."

"The two of you think you are so funny", Simmons answered, looking rather pleased with himself. "But soon you will be in _my_ backyard and then we'll see who is funny."

"Uh – no matter whose back yard we're in", Jack informed him, "You won't be funny. I'm sorry, but there it is Simmons. You just don't have it in you – nope, not a funny bone in your body."

"Hey Jack – you guys off now?" Daniel and Teal'c met them as they turned the corner on their way to the elevator.

"Yup", he answered. "We'll be back in three days. If we're not – send Teal'c."

"I will of course come to your assistance should you require it O'Neill. I have vowed to fight and destroy that which is evil – wherever it may be found."

Simmons laughed. "You people are so predictable. I can assure you that I don't plan on hurting the Colonel. We just want to get to the bottom of the box and see what it can do."

"Somehow Simmons your assurances don't make me feel much better. I don't quite know why. No wait! I know – it's because you're a lying snake, that's why."

Simmons punched the elevator button, finally beginning to show some anger. "I suggest you watch it Colonel – you may be the golden boy as far as some people are concerned, but there are a lot of folks who would rather see the last of you. One day your arrogance may take you somewhere you'll regret."

"Well, as long as it doesn't take me anywhere near you I'll be fine."

When they reached the surface two of Simmon's men were waiting. They escorted Jack and Sam to the black car that was waiting and then one jumped in the back and the other took the driver's seat. Simmons got in next to the driver.

"Petersen", he said.

No one said anything for the first few moments and the silence in the car was rather uncomfortable. As much as Jack had been flippant and joking since he'd entered Hammond's office, he had an uneasy feeling. He didn't know what Simmons could do – he was under strict orders – but he just knew he didn't trust the man. Glancing at Carter he could see that she was feeling nervous as well.

"Kind of crowded in here Simmons", he said after a few minutes. The guy sitting next to Carter seriously gave him the creeps. Jack was pretty sure the guy had been a mafia enforcer in a previous life.

"What? You don't like sitting so close to Major Carter? I thought that was something you were partial to O'Neill. Why, I've heard you and the pretty Major -"

"- I suggest you stop right now Simmons", Jack said softly. "Don't you even _think_ of suggesting anything."

Sam was pretty sure she saw Simmons shiver – which wouldn't have been surprising because when Colonel O'Neill used _that_ voice, it was a very scary thing. She'd only heard it a handful of times in all the years she'd known him and it still frightened her.

"I didn't mean anything by it O'Neill. You're too sensitive."

Jack let out a sharp crack of laughter. "Yeah, sensitive! That's me – Mr. Sensitivity!"

The crash, when it came, was so unexpected that it took Jack a couple of seconds to figure out what had happened. By the time he did, it was too late. The doors were wrenched open by two masked men – one in front, one in back. They were both holding automatic pistols which were pointed at the inhabitants of the car.

"Out", one of them commanded in a brusque voice.

"Uh – I think maybe you have the wrong -"

"I suggest you be quiet Colonel", the same man answered, "unless you'd like me to shoot your pretty lady Major."

"No – no, that's fine. I'll be quiet."

The masked man – the 'talker' motioned for them all to exit the car. Once they were out Jack glanced around and realized they were in the one location which was hidden, both from the mountain complex, and from the houses down below. Whoever had planned this knew what they were doing.

"What are you doing?" Simmons asked their attackers angrily. "You're interfering with government business and you won't get away with this!"

"Yeah?" the talker drawled. "Just watch me!" With that he pistol whipped Simmons, knocking him to the ground. When the man didn't move it was clear he was unconscious.

"Oooh – that had to have hurt!" O'Neill said softly, leaning over toward Carter.

"Get the container with the box", the talker gestured to his colleague. Jack noticed that there was another man standing by the car, also wearing a mask. Who the hell were these people?

"Uh – what is this about?" Jack finally asked. "We were just heading out on a vacation when you crashed into us but hey, we won't hold it against you – we'll just be on – ooph."

There was nothing Jack hated more than getting hit in the stomach – unless it was getting hit on the head. He felt to his knees, feeling like he was about to lose his breakfast. Sam attempted to help him but was pulled away by one of their attackers.

"I told you to shut up!" the man said gently. "Next time you speak it'll be the lady who gets it."

There was some rustling and footsteps but Jack was too busy trying to regain his equilibrium to notice. He finally went to push himself to his knees when a foot across his neck held him down. Now what?

"Give it to him", the talker said.

The next thing he knew someone was kneeling on him and his arm was wrenched back.

"Ow! Stop that!"

No one said anything and he tried to move but whoever was holding him down was strong – very strong. He couldn't figure out what was happening until he heard a faint protest from Sam and felt his sleeve being pushed up. When he felt the prick of the needle he finally realized.

"Shit – what are you doing?" he said, his face pressed into the ground.

"Keeping you quiet." The pressure on his back let up and he tried to turn over, but immediately felt sick and dizzy. Whatever they had given him was already working.

He went to push himself up but stumbled and fell over before he'd done much more than get to his knees. He heard Carter's voice as if from the end of a long tunnel. "Wha -?" he tried to talk but could feel himself fading. He didn't even notice when he hit the ground, face first. By then he was out.

"What did you give him?" Sam asked fearfully. Whatever it was had worked awfully quickly and she prayed he was going to be okay.

"Get in the car", the spokesman of the group told her. "Get the box", he then told the guy who had held the Colonel down. "We gotta get out of here before someone comes by."

Sam was quickly forced into the back of the van. One of their kidnappers lifted the Colonel in a fireman's lift and then dumped him in behind her. Before she had a chance to do anything the door slammed shut and she found herself in complete darkness.

"Colonel", she called, reaching out to feel for him in the dark. She located him almost instantly and spent the next few moments repositioning him so he would be more comfortable – at least he would be if he woke up. She laid his head in her lap and then felt for his pulse. It seemed slightly sluggish but was reasonably strong so she hoped whatever he'd been given wasn't too harmful. It was probably just a strong sedative, she decided. They probably knew enough about the Colonel to realize he'd be dangerous if left awake.

She lost track of how long they drove. It was hard to sense the passage of time when there was no light, although she figured it was a good three or four hours at least. All she knew was she really needed a bathroom – and a drink – in that order.

She kept checking the Colonel but so far he hadn't shown any sign of waking up. She was getting rather nervous about his continuing state of unconsciousness. Whatever they'd given him had been powerful.

On the tail of that thought she could feel the van slow down and then turn. There was a short stop and then it started up again, but this time the road they were on was bumpy. Must be a country road, she decided. She figured they were taking them to some kind of out of the way place. She just hoped that Hammond would find them soon.

The van stopped and there was another delay and then it moved forward a few feet. The next time it stopped the engine was turned off. They'd arrived.

"Come on sweetheart", the door opened and one of their kidnappers stood there. "Get out."

Squinting, even at the small amount of light that shone through the back, Sam carefully moved. She gently set the Colonel's head on the floor of the van and tried to get out, although she was incredibly stiff.

She'd barely made it to the back of the van when arms reached in and grabbed her and pulled her down. She stumbled and would have fallen, except that the man who had pulled her out grabbed her. She had a chance to look around, only to realize she was in a garage rather than outside.

"Take her inside", he told someone standing behind him. The next thing Sam knew she was being dragged forward. She tried to resist and a hand slapped her – hard – across the face.

"Hey!" she cried, holding her stinging cheek. "What was that for?"

"Move it lady", the voice growled.

With a quick glance back – to see the Colonel being pulled out of the van and lifted again – she then moved forward, followed by the man who had hit her.

She was eventually thrown into a small room and the door was closed and then locked. She glanced around and saw a bare room with nothing but a chair, a small table and a cot. On the table was a bottle of water and a glass. That was one need taken care of. She then noticed another door which she immediately investigated. Good – she could take care of the more pressing need and then concentrate on what was happening.

With a sigh of relief she zipped up her pants and moved back into the main room. She carefully smelt and tasted the water – but it seemed okay. She knew she'd have to drink sometime so hopefully it wasn't drugged. Once her thirst had been slated she sat down, only to think again about the situation they were in.

So – it wasn't Simmons. That was a surprise although logically she knew there was more than one bad guy out there. She figured it must be another faction in the NID - or a rogue agent – because she didn't know who else could possibly know about the box. It was a closely held secret, just like the gate, so very few would have been privy to it.

She wondered if Simmons would have any ideas. From what she had seen he was just knocked out – although granted, they could have killed him and his men after she'd been put in the van. If he was still alive at least he'd be of some help. They'd have to track down who could possibly know – and then try and figure out where they were. If anyone could do it it was Daniel and Teal'c – and Hammond of course.

In the meantime, she wondered what was happening to the Colonel. They must want him to test the box, which would actually be a good thing. He could end up freeing them. Surely though if the people knew enough to kidnap them, with the box, they must know what it – or he – was capable of. Why would they chance having the Colonel use the box to stop what they were doing?

The drugs! Of course, that's why they'd doped him up. They figured if they kept him drugged it would keep him from doing anything to hurt them. She frowned in confusion. But if that was the case – what good would it do to have him here in the first place? She shook her head – she couldn't figure this thing out. She wished again she knew what was happening to the Colonel.

What was happening was that he was being securely locked into a kind of chair – complete with metal wrist, ankle, knee, waist and neck restrains. He was so tightly bound in the chair he couldn't have moved a muscle – if he was awake to do it anyway.

One man – an older, gray haired man with the look of a kindly, absentminded profession, began to hook up tubes and wires to the shackled man.

"What are you doing?" the voice asked.

"What you're paying me to do", he answered calmly, but with an undertone of contempt. "It will be easier to administer the drugs if we establish an IV port. I am also hooking him up to monitor his vital signs. I assume you don't want him to die?"

"Not yet anyway", the man answered. "Okay then, but hurry up. How long until he wakes up from the stuff we gave him?"

"In the next hour or so", he replied. "But by then I will have administered the other chemical, so I don't know if you could call it 'waking up'."

"We'll be able to control him though, right?"

"Control? It will certainly allow you to keep him from thinking clearly or acting on his own, but whether or not he will do as you say – that I don't know."

"You said this would work", the other man said angrily. "You said we could get him to do what we wanted."

"And you can", the professor answered quietly. "But it will take some time and some effort. You will have to work on him – convince him that his woman is being threatened – and show him who is the one threatening her. Once you have done that, he will do what you want."

"So you're telling me we have to trick him?"

"Yes, that is exactly what I am telling you. The drugs in his system will cause hallucinations and allow his mind to be more easily manipulated. As I have repeatedly told you, it is not something we can do overnight. He is highly trained to resist any kind of mind control – but if we are patient, and with my drugs, we will get there."

"Good – because if we don't, my boss won't be happy. And I can tell you that bad things happen to the people who _make_ him unhappy."

"I assure you – he will be very pleased with the results." He looked down at his 'patient' and laughed. "Unfortunately, O'Neill and Major Carter won't be!"


	20. Friends or Enemies

_**Oooh – bad Jack-whump warning ahead! If you don't like it I'd suggest avoiding this chapter! **_

"I told you that I expected to see Colonel O'Neill back here – safe – in three days. Not only have you lost him, but you have also lost Major Carter. What the _hell_ were you doing Colonel?"

Simmons looked slightly chastened, although that may have had more to do with the bloody gash on the side of his head and the occasional grimace of pain than from any sense of true regret. "I'm sorry General. Someone obviously found out about the transfer and hijacked us on the road to Petersen. There is no way we saw it coming Sir."

"You should know enough by now to prepare for any eventuality. I want to know what's being done at your end to find my kidnapped officers?"

Hammond was standing behind his desk, leaning forward on his knuckles. To Simmons it looked as if he was about to launch himself across the desk and the Colonel unconsciously stepped back a few inches.

"We're doing everything possible Sir", he answered. "I have my men checking to find out who could have leaked the information and whether someone from our end or from the SGC is involved. I'm sure we'll find the culprit – er culprits."

"You'd better! What can you tell me about the men who attacked you?"

"Not much I'm afraid. There were three of them – at least that I could see. Two of them held guns on us and made us get out of the car. They were all wearing masks and I didn't recognize the voice of the one man who spoke. I tried to tell them they were making a mistake and that's when I was hit on the head. I'm afraid I don't remember anything after that. I woke up a short time later and found my men bound by the side of the road. Once I'd gotten them free we contacted you."

"Did they see anything?"

"Not much. They've written down everything they could remember but whoever planned this knew what they were doing. There were no markings on the vehicle and the license plate was covered up. My men were able to identify that it was a black Ford panel van. The three men were of average height with no discernible features that they could see. They were all dressed in black with cloth masks over their faces. The one thing they did say was -"

"Yes?" Hammond barked at him.

"- that one of the men hit O'Neill and knocked him to the ground. A couple of them then held him and one of them injected him with something. My men said he passed out almost immediately and he was put in the back of the van and then Major Carter was made to get in as well."

"Injected him? Why? With what?" Hammond asked, looking both worried and puzzled.

"Something to keep him under control I'd assume", Simmons answered, carefully feeling the side of his head. "O'Neill is known as being pretty resourceful in escaping from these kind of situations. They probably wanted to prevent that."

"They could simply have tied him up. It would have been easier."

Simmons shrugged. "I don't know why General, it's only my guess. You'll have to ask the kidnappers when we find them."

Hammond sighed and stood up straight. "Fine. If you haven't already I'd suggest you get yourself checked out in the Infirmary and then do what you can to find my people. I'm holding you personally responsible for their safety!"

"Yes Sir", Simmons answered, "I understand."

Hammond glanced sharply at him, sure he heard a touch of sarcasm in the man's voice. His eyes narrowed. "I'm positive the President won't be happy either. He considers O'Neill not only vital in our fight against the Goa'uld, he also thinks of him as a friend. "

"I understand General – I really do and promise the NID will do everything it can to see that he and the Major make it back safely. Whatever you think of us, we do have the good of this country and _all_ its citizens in mind."

Immediately after the Colonel had left, Hammond picked up his phone. "Walter, get Dr. Jackson and Teal'c to come to my office immediately. Oh, and you'd better send Colonel Reynolds as well."

* * *

><p>The first thing he noticed was that his head was about to fall off. He was actually looking forward to it as then he figured the pain would go. Yup – having his head separated from his body was a sure way to fix the spiking agony that was piercing his skull.<p>

The next thing he noticed was his stomach. It felt as bad as his head and he was pretty sure the only thing that would make _it_ feel better was to lose what was _in_ it – since he couldn't actually lose it. The problem, of course, was he knew that to empty his stomach would send the pain in his head screeching into the stratosphere– which put him back to his first wish that it would just fall off.

"He's coming around!"

Jack tried opening his eyes. Ouch – bad move. Still, he needed to see who had made that comment as it had sounded rather frantic – as if the guy didn't want whoever to 'come around'. He finally managed to open them just a crack and saw the blurry figure of a man standing in front of him. Okay, that really helped – he'd known his captor was a man already and his glance hadn't really added anything.

"There, that should do it. He'll start to feel the effects almost immediately." The speaker stepped back and put down the needle he had just used to inject something into the IV line attached to the Colonel's arm.

Great, thought Jack – he was pretty sure by this time it was him they were talking about. As he'd become more aware he'd realized he was tied firmly to a chair – and couldn't move at all. He'd also realized they had him wired up - and hell, _tubed_ up as well. He'd seen the IV running into his arm and then noticed the _other _tube. Why the hell would they have that in when he was sitting up in a chair? Surely they didn't expect him to wet himself.

Whoa – all of a sudden he began to feel dizzy. What the hell had they given him? He figured whatever it was – wherever he was – this was bad, really bad. Suddenly he remembered that – wait, Carter! Damn, where was she? He tried looking around but was stopped by something around his neck. The only result of his attempted movement was that his stomach jumped up and turned over. Oh God – no!

"Shit! He's puking. God – what a mess. I'm not gonna clean that up!"

"You are a moron aren't you?" the Professor said calmly. "Who chose you for this job anyway?"

"You know that it was -"

"Be quiet! You are not to mention his name – you've been told that already. Do you want him to kill you?"

There was dead silence in the room. "No – I wasn't going to -"

"What you _are _going to do is go and get some rags and water. I don't know about you but I'd rather not stay here with the smell of vomit. We'll have to remove O'Neill's shirt – not a bad idea anyway. Well come on – get moving."

Jack was now only vaguely aware of his surroundings. His stomach felt marginally better, but now he had a horrible taste in his mouth and the smell was making him feel nauseous again. His head – well he was pretty sure it was ready to go. A few more seconds and it would self-destruct – and then maybe he'd feel some relief.

"Jonathan" a woman's voice sang. "Jonathan."

"Huh?" The Colonel tried to see who was speaking. His vision was so bad he could only see the vague outline of a person.

"It's me Jonathan – your mother."

"Mom?" He tried to focus his eyes but didn't have any luck. His mother? Wasn't his mother dead? Maybe not – maybe it was all a part of his imagination.

"Jonathan, what are you doing here? Have you been hanging around those men again? I've told you, they're bad news. You shouldn't be friends with them!"

"Mom?" he muttered. Yup, that sounded like her. She must be alive. He felt a sudden sense of panic. What was she doing here? There was danger – she had to get out. "What – what are you doin'? You gotta get out of here – there are bad men here. They'll hurt you."

"Yes Jonathan, unless you cooperate I'm afraid your Mother will be hurt", a man's voice said.

That damn voice was back – who the hell was he? "Mom?"

"Jonathan please – don't let them hurt me!"

"MOM!" he shouted and tried to pull his way out of the chair but he couldn't move. _Why_ couldn't he move? What was happening?

"Jonathan, you have got to stop associating with those people. They're a bad influence on you and you need to get rid of them."

"Wha - ? Mom, what – who?"

"That Dr. Jackson and Teal'c – they're making you do all sorts of bad things. You have to get rid of them – for my sake Jonathan. You do love me, don't you?"

"Yes – of course I do but – Teal'c? Danny? They're my friends."

"No they're not – they are only pretending to be your friends. They really hate you and are trying to hurt you. They're also hurting me."

"No – they can't – they wouldn't -" His mumbled words were suddenly interrupted by a scream of agony.

"NO!" he shouted, trying again to free himself. He couldn't see clearly – he wanted to figure out what was happening but he couldn't. "Mom", he cried again. There was another scream, followed by a shot.

"God – what?"

"I'm sorry Colonel", a male voice spoke to him. "I'm afraid Teal'c has shot your mother."

"NOOOOOOO!" He began to fade out. "No. Teal'c is – my friend." His head dropped as far as it was able with the neck harness and he passed out.

"Well, that went rather well", the professor said as he turned off the recording. "Marcos, get the Colonel cleaned up. We'll try again in a few minutes. It's best to do this while the drug is the strongest. I can't give him another dose for at least four hours."

"Wow – he really thought that was his mother?" Marcos had returned with a bucket of sudsy water and some rags. He also carried a long kitchen knife.

"He is easily influenced with this drug in his system. All I need to do is plant a few words and his mind takes over from there. Of course, it'll be even better when we have the real thing. A few screams from Major Carter will go a long way to convincing him that his friends are to blame for his kidnapping and her torture."

"Torture? You gonna really hurt her?" Marcos looked at him curiously. The guy seriously gave him the willy's – talking so calmly about torture.

"How else do you think we will make her scream? I can assure you that Major Carter would not do so willingly."

"Can I help?" Marcos grinned. He'd love a chance to work over the woman. Maybe he could have some fun with her afterward – or hell, during!

"You will get the Colonel cleaned up and do what I tell you. That is your role here and I suggest you stick to it."

Marcos wanted to kill the doctor – or professor or whoever the hell he was - but was frightened enough of him that he simply turned and walked to O'Neill. He took one look at the pathetic – and filthy man – and threw the bucket of water at him.

"Yes, I can see that you have a sophisticated mind", the other man said. "still, being wet and cold might help."

"Yeah" Marcos grinned. He took the knife and proceeded to split the Colonel's sleeves. The shirt was already open in front to allow the wires to be attached to his chest. Once he was finished he reached out gingerly and pulled the torn clothing right off of O'Neill. "Damn – he's still dirty. I need more water." He left the room and returned a few minutes later with another bucket which he immediately threw at the unconscious man.

This time the water seemed to rouse the drugged Colonel and he tried again to lift his head. His eyes still wouldn't focus, although he knew someone was in front of him.

"He's comin' around again Doc", Marcos watched as the man tied to the chair, now dressed only in boxers, shivered violently. They'd already stripped his pants off so that the Doctor could insert the catheter. The water, which he'd made sure was ice cold, had done the trick.

"So he is. I'm sure it's your tender care of him that's doing it. Go get Adam!"

The Professor – Charles Knightly by name – watched the man in front of him. He felt no pity, only a detached curiosity. He'd heard a lot about this man and knew what he was capable of. He also knew, however, that Colonel wasn't strong enough to fight the affects of his drugs, or his methods.

"It will be interesting to see how long you last Colonel, before you accept what you are told." He smiled slightly as he watched O'Neill's weak struggles as he tried to free himself. He continued to shiver from the cold water and the effect of the drugs rushing through his veins.

The door opened and Marcos entered, followed by another man. Knightly took one look at him and smiled. "He's all yours", he said softly to the new man. "Just make sure he remains alive."

* * *

><p>Sam had lost track of the number of times she'd walked around the room. She had tried to figure a way out but so far nothing had come to her. She hated the fact that she didn't know where the Colonel was or even if he was okay. She <em>hated<em> being in this position.

She stopped abruptly. Was that a scream she had just heard? It was faint but then it happened again – and it was followed by a shot. Crap – what the hell had just happened?

She was pretty sure the scream had been made by a woman – but who would it have been? Unless they'd been brought to some chamber of horrors where other people were being tortured.

She eventually sat down on the bed and pulled her knees up and rested her head on them. "You'd better be okay Colonel", she muttered. "I went through a lot of work saving you already and I'll be really pissed if you go and get yourself hurt again!"

The key turning in the lock had her instantly sitting up straighter, although she didn't stand. She tried, instead to look as relaxed as possible. When the man entered however, she almost gave herself away. To say she was shocked was – an understatement.

"What the hell is going on?" she asked the man.

He simply grinned and held the gun on her. She noticed then that he was carrying a tray which he deposited on the table. So, they were at least going to feed her.

"Who are you and why the hell are you dressed like that?"

The man raised his eyebrow, which gave her the serious shivers, and turned around. "Eat", was all he said. "You won't get any more till tomorrow."

After the door closed, and she heard the key turning, she leaned back against the wall. "Shit! What the hell is going on?"

She thought about the man who had just entered. Not only was he the spitting image of Teal'c – he sported a gold tattoo - the exact same tattoo – on his forehead.

It was obvious they were trying to pass him off as Teal'c – what was not obvious was why.

* * *

><p>"Jack?"<p>

What? He tried again to lift his head at the sound of the voice. "Daniel?" he croaked. He squinted and there in front of him was – his friend. He could vaguely make out the man's glasses. "God Danny - get me - out of here", he gasped. "They've got – Carter – somewhere. Gotta find her."

"All in good time Jack." Daniel knelt down in front of the Colonel. "You don't look so good."

"No – a bit – trussed up here. Daniel – get me outta this."

"I'm afraid I can't Jack, at least – not right now. You see, I want to talk to you about something first."

"Huh? What – the hell – are you doing? We gotta go before – they come back."

"No, I'm afraid you'll just have to wait. You see Jack, I'm sick of you ordering me around all the time. I'm not military and don't have to listen to your arrogant – and usually stupid – orders. I'm a lot smarter than you Jack, so how do you think I feel when I have to listen to you. I bet you barely graduated high school, didn't you? No, you're pretty much a brainless goon for the Air Force."

"Daniel?" He felt sick again – and cold – but the cold was more as a result of his friend's words than anything physical. "Daniel – we're – friends."

The other man laughed. "Friends? You really think so? No, I needed you to help me find Sha're but you've never been a friend of mine Jack. You see, I like intelligent people – people with whom I can have a real conversation. You – well, you served a purpose but unfortunately I don't need you anymore. Sha're is – gone – which is your fault by the way."

"My – fault?" Jack tried to shake his head but the collar around his neck prevented any side to side movement. Why was Danny saying these things? "Daniel – please?"

"Oh, you're begging me now are you Jack? Well, I think you'll be begging me even more in a few minutes. You see, as I was saying, it's your fault that I lost Sha're. You were supposed to find her for me but instead all you were interested in was going through the gate – and screwing with Sam. No, I'm afraid you're going to have to pay Jack – and now's the time."

"Danny", he managed to say, although his voice was fading. "Please don't do this. You're my – friend."

The man in front of him stood up and pulled something from the waist of his pants. By this time Jack had begun to fade again and he couldn't tell what was happening – until Daniel placed something cold on his chest.

"Wha- ? What are – you – doing?"

"Doing? Why, I told you, I'm making you pay. Now I'm afraid this is not going to be pleasant Jack – but if you're really good I won't kill you."

The next thing Jack knew, he felt a sharp burning pain across his chest. He looked down, trying to figure out what was going on. He attempted to focus his eyes and thought he saw something gleaming. It was only as he felt something warm running down his chest and his stomach that he realized – it was blood.

The man – Daniel – held up the sharp blade, now red with blood, and smiled. "Yup – you're going to pay – with your blood."

Charles felt much better now that he'd eaten. Although outwardly he presented a calm exterior, inside he'd been excited and nervous. He had so been looking forward to trying out his experiment – and to sgetting his hands on the alien technology. The anticipation had taken away his appetite and only now it had returned. He knew it was time he returned to his subject. He'd left strict instructions with Adam, but he worried slightly that the man would get carried away. The last thing he could afford to do was to kill O'Neill – at least at this point.

He walked into the room and couldn't help but raise his brows at the sight before him. O'Neill was pretty much covered in blood – at least his chest and arms were and Adam had started on his upper thighs. He heard O'Neill groan – and thought he heard a whimpered 'Daniel, please.' Wonderful – his project was working marvelously.

"Very good Dr. Jackson", he said loudly. "I think you have spent enough time with O'Neill. Why don't you go and continue your research."

"Okay – although I'd like to spend a bit more time with my friend. Wouldn't you like that Jack?" He reached out with his bloody knife and allowed it to rest on the Colonel's cheek. He drew it down gently, leaving a thin red trail.

O'Neill tried to move his head but by this time was feeling so weak and dizzy he barely knew what to do to avoid any more pain. His whole body burned and he could feel the hot, slick blood running down his torso, to pool under his hips and thighs. Although only semi-aware, he was pretty sure none of the wounds were that deep. On the other hand – the wound to his soul was.

"I'll be going now Jack", Daniel said. "I'll be back though because I'm not quite finished. Right now I'm going to go see Sam."

"NOOOO!" Jack's head jerked up. "NO – leave – Carter – alone – you – bastard!"

Daniel didn't say anything – he only laughed and kept going. O'Neill felt like crying. What was happening? Why was this happening? Please God – let Carter be okay."

_**Sorry folks – Sam-whump ahead!**_


	21. Wishing Them Dead

Knightly took a quick look at the Colonel and nodded, satisfied. Adam had done an excellent job – he'd inflicted pain and distress without doing any serious damage. None of the cuts where deep – he didn't even think any needed stitches. There was some blood loss because of the numbers of cuts, but nothing that would cause too much trouble. It would just make O'Neill weak – which didn't really matter considering he was trussed up so tightly.

"So O'Neill, you got to spend some time with Dr. Jackson? I didn't know he hated you so much. I understand he holds you responsible for his wife's death. You did promise to help save her, did you not? But I guess you failed. Well, he had his little bit of revenge, although according to him he wants another shot at you. I've told him to wait though – we don't want you too damaged until after you get to see our next act."

"What – do you – want you – bastard!" O'Neill ground out. He couldn't see anything now – the drugs were affecting him and the weakness and trauma from his recent ordeal had made him lose touch with everything around him. The thought also, that Sam was going to be hurt made him unable to concentrate on anything.

"Tsk, tsk Colonel – not very original are we? I don't want anything – at least yet. I just want you to find out the truth about your friends. You don't want to go through life not knowing how much they hate you, do you? I mean, you could end up trusting them at just the wrong time. This way you'll see and truly understand." Charles reached down and fiddled with the IV. "It's just about time for your next dose. I want you to see and experience everything once I've given you my medicine", he said to his captive. "You wouldn't want to miss the show – not when Major Carter will be performing."

"Bastard!" he said again. "Don't – touch – her – I'll _kill you_!"

"Yes", Charles laughed. "I can see that you are a dangerous man. I'm sure my heart is beating too fast from fear." He laughed again. "Don't worry Colonel – for the next act you'll just have to watch rather than participate."

Jack moaned – not understanding what was happening or why they were doing this. Daniel? Teal'c? What was happening? Why was he being held and, oh God, what were they going to do to Sam?

A few moments later – although he really couldn't judge time at all well – the Professor came over with another hypodermic needle and injected the chemical into his IV. It didn't take long before he again began to feel the stronger effects of whatever had been injected into him. He began to lose complete touch with reality. Soon the voices and random thoughts started.

"NOOOOO!" he screamed, seeing blood and death all around. He saw Daniel. "DANIEL!" he screamed. The man was laughing at him – holding the knife and cutting him, cutting him – slicing him. He screamed again and began to beg. "Daniel, please. Daniel!"

It went on and on – until exhausted, he passed out.

"Wow, it hit him stronger this time!"

Charles turned and saw Marcos standing there, obviously enjoying watching O'Neill in the depths of his hallucinations. "Yes, the drug is cumulative. Eventually he will lose all touch with reality. That is when he will be ready."

"You are a mean one, aren't you?" Marcos smirked.

"And you are an imbecile!" the Professor said. "Now go tell Benjamin that it is time."

"Okay – this should be fun. Uh – can I have a shot at the woman after he's done?"

"Just get Benjamin."

"Fine – geesh!"

Sam had heard the screams and, even though faint, knew it was the Colonel. What were they doing to him? She rested her head on her knees again. "Daniel, Teal'c – come on guys, we really need you and now would be a good time!"

The quiet that followed the screams didn't make her feel any better. If anything, the silence was even more frightening.

When the door opened – finally – she was about ready to start screaming herself. She couldn't figure out what they were doing, why they'd been taken. She'd thought originally it was about the box, but why then were they torturing the Colonel?

The man who entered was the Teal'c look-a-like and he was followed closely by another man. "What do you want?" she asked them warily, although she refused to show fear. The Colonel wouldn't – and she had learned at his knee.

"You darlin'" he laughed. "Come on sweetheart, we have work to do."

"I don't know what you want with me, but I'm not going to help you!"

The little guy laughed. "Oh don't worry – you don't have to do much. Benjamin here will do all the hard work, won't you Ben?"

"Marcos, my name is not 'Ben'! But I agree, I'm the one who is about to work. Now come Major. If you don't I'm afraid I'll have to get a bit rough."

"Yeah, and that'll spoil the surprise!" Marcos laughed again, clearly enjoying something.

Sam stood up, deciding it wasn't worth it to try and fight. And the truth was she was tired of being locked in this room and needed to try and figure out what was going on. Hopefully she'd find out soon.

As she walked by the Teal'c double she was suddenly grabbed. Her arms were pulled behind her back and he cuffed her wrists together.

"Sorry about that Major, but we can't take any chances." The man – who was incredibly strong, then proceeded to force a gag into her mouth. She cursed and tried to bite him, but he simply cuffed her across the face, which almost caused her to black out. Damn – that was the second time today, she thought hazily. She must have some interesting bruises!

She was marched down a long hallway until they finally came to a door. Surprisingly, 'Benjamin' knocked and waited until the door opened. Standing on the other side was a rather benign looking individual. He kind of looked like a doctor – or no – he reminded her of one of her old history professors from her university days.

"Good, good. I see you are here now Major. I'm sorry about the gag – but you'll understand in a moment. Bring her over here, where the Colonel can see her."

It was then that Sam realized that Colonel O'Neill was in the room. Oh my God! She wanted to scream when she saw him. He was chained to a chair wearing nothing but boxers – and he was covered in blood. She felt sick to her stomach, wondering if he was even alive. He hadn't moved since she'd entered and, if not dead, was in bad shape.

She struggled but the man holding her acted as if she was nothing more than an irritating child trying to get away. "Stop now", he told her.

"Your friend is fine Major Carter", the professor said. "As you can see, I am monitoring his condition carefully. I'm afraid he is a little cut up – just a fun little interlude with one of my men. The main problem of course is the drugs. He's been given quite a few doses so I'm afraid won't be very lucid. I'll wake him up in just a moment. I'm afraid Major, that the next interlude is with you", he said regretfully. "I really hate the thought of having to hurt you, but it is necessary I'm afraid. And it will be over quite soon. O'Neill should be ready for the next step in just a little while. The drugs I've given him are helping create a new reality for him – one he won't be able to resist. At that time I will get him to use the box – and he will be mine."

Sam looked at the innocent looking man in front of her and knew she was looking at evil. The very fact that he was so calm, so matter of fact about torturing two people was way more frightening than if he'd looked at her with anger or hatred – or even greed. No, this man was very seriously disturbed, and dangerous.

"O'Neill", the man shook his subject but nothing happened. "Marcos, I'm afraid we're going to need your bucket again.

Marcos grinned and left. A few minutes later he returned, carrying a bucket filled with water. "It's cold so it should do the trick."

"Excellent!"

All of them watched as the small man threw the water directly into the Colonel's face. Immediately O'Neill blinked and opened his eyes, although they were unfocused and lacked their usual sparkle.

"Good morning Colonel", Charles looked at the man he regarded as his patient. "Nice of you to join us again. I have quite a treat for you today. Look who's here – your Major Carter and Teal'c – the Jaffa you took in when he left the service of Apophis."

Sam was startled at the man's words, turning to look at him in concern. What was he planning? Why did he have someone who looked like Teal'c? She turned to the Colonel and watched as he tried to focus although he clearly was having trouble. It started to become clear – crap, they were trying to get him to believe that Teal'c was here. In his state it was probable that he'd believe the man really _was_ Teal'c. But why? What could they hope to accomplish?

"I can see you are beginning to understand Major Carter", the Professor said. "You see, I have been explaining to O'Neill that his so-called friends, Daniel Jackson and Teal'c, aren't _really_ his friends. In fact, they both hate Colonel O'Neill and were happy to help me. The man who – had his fun cutting the Colonel – was Dr. Jackson, who blames him for his wife's death."

Oh my God – he'd had a man who looked like Daniel torture the Colonel. What was this going to do to him? Suddenly she realized why she'd been gagged – so she couldn't tell him the truth.

She glared at the hideous creature in front of her. She would not have been surprised to see his eyes glow and she wondered briefly who he was, and how he knew so much about classified information. Her questions came to a sudden stop when she heard the Colonel groan, and saw him desperately trying to see and to figure out what was happening.

"Car – ter", he gasped. "You – 'kay?"

She nodded, and tried to figure a way to let him know, to get him to understand what was happening. She couldn't come up with anything, not with her hands tied and her mouth gagged. She also knew he was in too bad a condition to really understand.

"I'm afraid we've wasted enough time. O'Neill, I suggest you watch." The man nodded at Benjamin – and the next thing Sam knew her head had exploded in agony.

Jack tried again to pull away from the chair. He screamed and shouted and cursed as he watched Sam being beaten. He needed to help her – to save her. He pulled frantically but nothing happened other than he opened some of the cuts and caused them to start to bleed. "TEAL'C!", he screamed. "DANIEL"! He tried moving his head, his arms, his legs – but nothing happened.

Sam was a mass of hurt. The man – Benjamin – clearly knew what he was doing. He worked in such a way to cause maximum pain, while not incapacitating her. She knew that if it went on for much longer she was in danger of serious injury, but for now she was just collecting bruises, scrapes and abrasions.

What was the hardest wasn't, in fact the pain, but was the sound of Jack's cries of agony. God – not only did he think she was getting the crap kicked out of her – but he thought it was being done by someone he'd always considered a brother. She wanted to run to him, to reassure him – but all she could do was continue to try and keep from getting seriously hurt.

It was finally over. She lay on the ground, deep, sobbing breaths coming from her throat. By this time she couldn't' see clearly – the blood from a cut on her forehead had flowed into her eyes. There was silence now - although she could hear the odd 'hitch' from Jack. She forced her head up, only to see the Professor slapping the Colonel.

"Damn, he's passed out", he said. "Colonel, time to wake up. Don't you want to know what's going to happen next?"

He finally opened his eyes, and Sam was startled to see the tears. She'd never seen him break down like this – although she knew it was partly the drugs.

"So, did you enjoy watching Teal'c hurt Major Carter? Unfortunately I don't think we can witness the next part. Teal'c is going to 'enjoy' the Major's favors – and he feels he needs a little privacy for that. I guess we should let him take her to the bedroom now. I'm afraid you'll just have to imagine what's happening."

"No!", he sobbed. "Please – don't. Leave her – alone!"

"I'm sorry Colonel – I promised Teal'c – and I never go back on my promises. He's softened her up nicely now, and I'm sure will greatly enjoy the next part."

Benjamin picked her up and practically dragged her out of the room. She looked at Jack one last time and tried to signal with her eyes that she was okay – that she would be okay. She would survive this – she would, although right now she was so terrified she was afraid she was going to be sick.

"There Colonel – how do you feel about what your former – friend – is about to do? Do you wish you could stop it or don't you care? I'm sure Major Carter has faced this kind of thing before, hasn't she. Maybe you've even tried her yourself? She is an attractive woman and I'm sure that's helped her get where she is today."

Jack sat, not moving. He couldn't figure out what was going on – why they'd hurt Sam – and where she was. He knew she was in danger, grave danger – but didn't understand why or how. He just needed to save her. He'd do anything – anything to save his Sam.

"Please", he begged softly. "Don't – hurt - .

"You don't want Teal'c to hurt Major Carter? No? Then why don't you do something about it? But I'm afraid you're going to have to hurry – it may be too late even now."

Jack tried to shake his head, forgetting again about the collar. What was this guy talking about? How could he save – anybody, tied up like this? "Please", he said again.

"Here Colonel", the Professor was holding the black box. "Take this and all you have to do is think about killing Teal'c and Daniel and they won't bother you or Major Carter ever again. They're not your friends – they are your enemies and they deserve to die for what they have done." After staring at O'Neill for a few seconds Charles finally grinned and bent over. He carefully uncurled the Colonel's hand and, with a last glance at the box, placed it into that hand.

It immediately snapped open and Knightly jumped back in surprise. Once his heart beat had steadied again he spoke. "Colonel O'Neill, you must think about Teal'c and Daniel. They betrayed you and are not your friends. Remember Daniel – who spent all that time cutting you and hurting you. And then there's Teal'c – who hurt Major Carter and even now may be assaulting her. They deserve to die Colonel – just think about their deaths and everything will be okay.

"Teal'c", Jack murmured, "Daniel." With those two words he closed his eyes and thought about the ones who had hurt him and then Sam – and he wished them dead."


	22. Sam Rescuing Jack Rescuing Sam

She was only semi-conscious when the guy who looked like Teal'c – Benjamin she'd heard him called – dragged her out of the room with the Colonel. She tried to pull herself together but was in too much pain and too frightened to be able to think clearly.

God – the Colonel had had to watch her getting beaten. She knew that it must have killed him to not be able to help her. She'd realized quickly what was happening and could only pray that he'd figure it out, that he wouldn't let these guys destroy him by making him believe it was his friends who were hurting him.

She groaned when Benjamin pushed her back into the room she'd been in before. She managed to make it to the bed before collapsing, but when she looked at him she realized that maybe the bed hadn't been the best place to land.

God – he looked – no! She would fight him to the death if she had to – even bound and gagged like she was. In all the years she'd fought she'd never been raped – and there was no way in hell she was going to let it happen now!

"I'm going to enjoy this", the big guy said softly. He advanced on the bed – slowly – obviously drawing out the anticipation.

She pulled back slightly and bent her legs. If she had to she'd kick the hell out of him.

"Go ahead and try", he grinned. "I like a woman to fight – makes it all the more enjoyable when I finally take her." Without any warning he was on her. She tried to thrust her legs at him but he only laughed as he landed on top of her. His weight – he was a big guy – didn't allow her to even move. Besides that was the fact that she was weak from the beating he'd already given her.

She sobbed softly, trying desperately to move, to fight back, to do anything she could to protect herself. She heard him laugh again and felt his hands – God no! She twisted away and his hands fell to the side but almost instantly he put them back. She knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that there was nothing she was going to be able to do to stop him. She sobbed again.

* * *

><p>"There – that should have done it." The Professor quickly grabbed the box from the Colonel's hands. He didn't want the man doing anything more. "That should have gotten rid of your friends – or should I say – former friends?."<p>

Charles looked at the Colonel who was now passed out, although still bound to the chair. They had more to do to eventually ensure O'Neill was totally in their control, but this had been a good start. All he had to do was to verify, with his employer, that the results were what they were looking for.

"I believe you have made me a lot of money Colonel", he said to the unconscious man. He then walked over to a side table and picked up the telephone. He dialed and then waited for someone to answer on the other end, confident that he was about to have his genius confirmed.

"Hello? Yes, it's me. I'm just calling to – what? No, that can't be. But I heard – he – I don't know. I'll have to check and call you back. NO – you will get what I promised. It may just take a bit longer than we thought."

He slowly hung up the phone, all the while staring at O'Neill. "What the hell did you do Colonel?" He looked at the box, which he'd set down on a small table, and then at the Air Force officer tied cruelly to the chair. "I'm afraid we're going to have to start our training again."

* * *

><p>Sam couldn't breathe. It was partly due to the bruising on her ribcage but most of it was due to fear – no, to terror. She was about to be assaulted and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it.<p>

It took a second before she realized that the weight was gone – hell, the body was gone. She heard the loud crash and then nothing. What the hell? She slowly, shakily, pushed herself onto her knees, her hands still tied behind her back and looked over in the direction of the noise.

Holy crap! What happened? Benjamin lay in a heap on the floor. It was clear – from the dent on the wall – that he'd been thrown against it with some force. There was blood on the floor and Sam could see trails of the same red substance coming from his nose and ears. He was clearly badly hurt – but from the movement of his chest, wasn't dead – at least not yet.

She tried to shake her head – to figure it out. She looked around but there was no one there. It was almost as if an invisible – Wait! Her mind – which was definitely not its usually sharp self – started to put two and two together. The Colonel – the box – Reznick! Oh God – the Colonel must have done this!

She laughed – although it sounded more like a sob – and struggled to her feet. She was pretty sure the man no longer posed a threat, but she needed to make sure – and to figure a way out of these bonds. She had to help the Colonel.

Sam finally managed to make her way over to her fallen attacker. He looked pretty bad although he was still breathing. Watching carefully, to make sure he wouldn't suddenly wake up, she knelt down beside him. She needed something to get the rope off of her wrists.

It took a few minutes – which felt like hours – before she found it. Pseudo-Teal'c had a Swiss Army knife in his pocket. It took quite a bit of work for her to get it out but eventually she was able to work it out of his pocket. It took even longer for her to get one of the blades open, all the while worrying Benjamin would regain consciousness. Fortunately, for her, not for him, he appeared well and truly out of it. In fact, from the blood seeping from his ears she suspected a serious concussion – something she didn't feel the least sorry about.

With a gasp her wrists separated and the rope loosened. She was able to pull the rest off and then yanked the gag from around her head and out of her mouth. With a quick look at her attacker, to confirm he wasn't going to give her any more problems, she stumbled to her feet and towards the door. She felt like she was going to pass out; the combination of the beating and the fear making her feel dizzy and week. Still, she knew she had to make it. She had to make sure the Colonel was okay.

* * *

><p>"Adam is hurt!" Marcos rushed into the room, yelling at the Professor. "Something happened – he was thrown against the wall and he's unconscious. I didn't see anyone – there was no one there. What's going on?"<p>

Charles looked startled, then furious, then frightened. He finally turned back to the Colonel, who still seemed out of it. "What did you do O'Neill? How did you know?"

Marco was surprised at the fury he saw on the Doc's face. He'd thought the man didn't have any emotions at all – let alone this extreme anger. He looked like he was about to kill the Colonel – which would get them all in trouble. "Uh - You want me to check on the woman Doc?" he said, more to distract the man than anything.

"You don't have to you bastard!" Sam swung the chair at Marco's head. He was down instantly – and didn't get back up.

"Way to – go – Carter!" Even though Jack still felt like he was off in Never-Never land, he was pretty sure that what he'd just seen was legitimate. He frowned – unless they also had a Carter look-a-like. Nah – that was Carter, he was sure of it. The way she swung that thing – that had to be his Major.

"You okay Sir?" she asked breathlessly.

"Fine Carter – you?"

"Fine Sir." She was relieved the Colonel seemed to be okay – at least he was alive, although he looked pretty battered and dazed. She knew the Professor – Doctor – whoever he was was still dangerous however so she didn't keep her eyes off of him. All she had as a weapon was the chair which she continued to hold tightly. She took a few steps towards him but stopped when he backed away.

"You think you are going to hurt me with that chair Major?" he asked softly. "It is terribly frightening, I agree, but somehow I don't think it's a match for my weapon." With that he leapt the few feet to his left – to the small table with some of his 'medical' supplies and grabbed a pistol. She tried to intercept him, but was just too slow.

"Stand very still Major", he hissed, holding the gun on her, "or I'm afraid I'll have to shoot you."

"You're sounding like something out of a corny spy movie", she told him. "You really don't have a way out you know. It's obvious whatever you were trying with the Colonel didn't work so why don't you just let us go?" She closed her eyes briefly in disgust at herself. _Now_ who's sounding like a TV movie, she said to herself.

"I'm sorry Major – my experiment with the Colonel is just starting. It may have not worked this time, but it will. I was just not clear enough in my instructions to him. I left too much room for error. I assure you, it won't happen again. The next time he _will_ do as I want."

"You really are that naïve, aren't you", she told him. "You think you can control him? I think you'll be in for a big surprise. He's a hard man to control."

Charles laughed. "But you see – I've already started. He did as I wanted, but as I said, my instructions were not clear. Anyway, enough talking." He glanced quickly at O'Neill but the man was unconscious again and not moving. Knightly grinned and motioned with his gun. "Let's let the Colonel sleep. We can do this somewhere else."

"Do what?" she asked suspiciously.

"Why kill you, of course. My plan was always to get rid of you and the rest of SG1. I knew that if any of you were left alive you wouldn't rest until you'd found the Colonel. With you gone – and Dr. Jackson and the alien, O'Neill will soon be written off and I can spend my time on him."

"You forgot General Hammond", she told him.

"Oh, I didn't forget the General but I'm afraid after this fiasco he's probably going to be relieved of command and then he'll have no resources with which to look for the Colonel. No, I'm afraid he'll just have to retire and spend time with those sweet granddaughters of his."

He motioned again, and she had no choice but to turn and head towards the door. She glanced down at Marcos but he was still out. She then looked at the Colonel but he seemed totally unaware of what was happening. She wondered if it was best that way.

"Goodbye Colonel", she whispered softly. She then laughed at herself. "Jack – goodbye Jack."

She'd only taken a couple of steps when she heard a strange noise. The Professor heard it as well and told her to stop.

"What?" he said, sounding confused. "NO!" This time his voice was full of fear.

Sam looked around and was surprised to see the box – which had been sitting quietly on the table – suddenly wide open. She was trying to grapple with what was going on when the man next to her screamed and dropped the gun. He grabbed his wrist and howled as if in pain. A moment later his body was lifted and flung against the wall. He dropped back to the ground but a moment later flew up and hit the wall again. By this time he was completely unconscious.

Sam stood staring, trying to figure out what had just happened. One moment he'd been holding a gun on her, the next he was laying – maybe dead – on the floor.

"Hey – I could – use some – help – here." The broken voice finally snapped her out of her shock.

"Colonel?" She turned and rushed over to him. He was still shackled to the chair and looked half dead. "Are you okay Sir?" she asked, frantically trying to find a way to undo him.

"Yeah – just appreciate – getting out of – here."

"I know Sir, I'm trying to find a way to undo you!"

"Professor – has – keys."

Of course. Damn, what was wrong with her? "I'll be right back." She scrambled to her feet and ran to the Professor's body. Like the others, he wasn't dead, although he didn't look good. His forehead was scraped raw and the whole side of his face was bruised. When she looked at his hand it looked like it had been badly burnt. As she searched his pockets she tried to figure out what had caused this to happen. She knew the Colonel hadn't touched the box but she was sure she had seen it open – even though right now it was closed. She wondered briefly if someone else could control it – but then, why hadn't she seen anyone.

"There!" she found what looked like the key to the locks holding the Colonel's shackles. "I think I've got it Sir", she told him, rushing to his side.

"'Bout time Carter", he gasped. "Gettin' real – tired – here."

"I know Sir, I'm sorry." She was shaking so much it was hard to use the key but eventually she managed to release the band around his neck. His head immediately fell forward and he groaned.

"Are you okay Colonel?" she asked, frightened.

"Oh yeah – feels – good!" He raised his head and gave her a small smile. "Just – stretching."

She finally got the last of the locks opened and proceeded to catch the Colonel as he fell forward, too weak to hold himself up. He was still attached to various wires and – oh God – he had a catheter! First she decided to get rid of the wires and managed to pull off the monitors. "Sorry Sir", she said when he yelped.

"'ts'okay" he replied.

"Uh Sir – there's the – uh –"

"Huh?" He looked at her blearily and then glanced down when she made a gesture towards his – "Oh." He just looked at the tube come out of his boxers, leading to a bag attached to his chair. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he should be embarrassed but was flying too high right now to care. "Get rid of – it Carter", he told her calmly.

"But Sir – I – don't-"

He grinned at her – enjoying her discomfort. "Just release – the little – ball and – pull!"

"Ball Sir?"

"Yeah – don't wanna – rip my -"

"I understand Sir", she said quickly. She shut her eyes briefly. Janet - if ever there was a time I wished you were here!" "Here it goes Colonel." She reached down and, as quickly as she could, disconnected him from the catheter. God – she couldn't ever remember being so embarrassed in her life! She rearranged his boxers – something she was pretty sure hadn't been taught in officer's training, and sat back.

"There Sir – all done."

"Thanks!" he said and leaned his head into her. "Sorry", he murmured into her shoulder as she held him.

"That's okay Sir, anyti – ur - can you move? We should try and get out of here and get some help."

He nodded without answering. She pulled her head back and realized, when she looked at him, that he was still only half conscious. Leave it to the Colonel, she thought, to keep going as long as he has to.

She managed to help him down to the floor and laid him out flat. It wasn't very comfortable but she wasn't up to holding him up too much longer, especially with the shape she was in. She looked around quickly and spotted the phone. "I'll be just a minute Sir. I'm going to call for help."

"Uh – where – are we?" he mumbled into the floor.

"Damn!" She really was out of it! "I'll have to check. Are you okay for a minute if I leave you?"

"Yeah – just – the others – they around?"

"Both Marcos and the Professor are out cold and I don't think they'll come to anytime soon. Benjamin – uh, the Teal'c look-a-like - is also out. I don't know about anyone else."

"Daniel's – out – too," he murmured.

"Daniel?"

"Fake – Daniel", he clarified. "He's – out."

"Okay. Look I'll be just a minute and I'll be right back."

"Kay Carter – go."

She hated to leave him but at the moment had no choice. She carefully opened the door and checked the hallway. No one. She then began to carefully check the few remaining doors down the hall but all she found were empty rooms. They looked like they were some kind of offices which were deserted. She reached the door at the end of the corridor and with a deep breath opened it, praying she wouldn't find some thug out there waiting for her.

She didn't. Instead she found what looked like a showroom of some kind. It too was deserted. She looked around carefully and decided she was in what had, at one time, been a car dealership. There was a counter leading to a back area – probably a service area – and not much else.

"Damn!" she muttered. There was nothing that gave away the location. It was getting dark out and she hated the thought of having to leave to find out where they were. It looked like she was going to have to call and have the General trace the call. She just hoped they didn't have the line blocked. She also hated that it would take time.

Just as she went to turn around and head back, she saw something lying on the ground. With a frown she walked over and picked it up. It was a copy of a letter – offering customers a free oil change and tire rotation for referring a friend. She was going to toss it when she noticed the tiny lettering at the bottom.

"Bingo!" she said. There, across the bottom of the letter were the words: **Max Shiner's Cars, 1125 E. Coney St. Colorado Springs, Colorado.**

She hurried back to the room where she'd left the Colonel. "Sir? You okay?"

"Yeah", the Colonel – sounding tired but alive, answered. "Would – kinda – like to – get out of – here soon – Major."

"Yes Sir, right away." She walked over to the phone and picked it up and dialed the General's desk. "General Hammond, it's Major Carter. … Yes Sir, we're fine. At least – the Colonel's been drugged but he's alive." She then told him where they were.

"They'll be here in a few minutes Colonel", she said, collapsing onto the floor beside him. She looked him over carefully but he seemed to be more drugged than anything. She didn't think his wounds were too dangerous, although she was sure they were painful. "Uh Sir, what happened?"

"Guy – wanted me to think – Teal'c, Daniel. – knew – wasn't them."

"What? You knew it wasn't them? How?"

"Daniel – hates – the site of blood and Teal'c – wouldn't hit someone – with hands – tied."

"You thought of those things – while you were drugged?" she asked with wonder in her voice.

"No", he answered. "Just now."

"Oh – then how did you know they were imposters?"

"Daniel – Teal'c – my friends." With that he passed out. She moved over and lifted him until his head was in her lap, and waited for the cavalry to arrive.


	23. One of the Good Guys

He was actually not really unconscious; he just couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. So, when his Major moved over and lifted his head into her lap he thought about opening his eyes and telling her. He nixed that idea really quickly. How often did he get to enjoy this? Okay – almost never – so he'd be a fool to miss the opportunity. He'd just lie here – a little bit longer.

He felt her finger gently stroking his head and was pretty sure he was in heaven. If it wasn't for the drugs which were still coursing through his veins making him feel rather disembodied he knew he'd feel guilty for enjoying it so much. But hell – he _was_ drugged. He _wasn't_ in his right mind and this felt – so – very – good.

He sighed and the movement of her hand stopped. Idiot O'Neill! He forced himself to breathe slowly and deeply and her hand started up again. Oh yeah!

It was when he felt the wetness on his cheek that he decided it was time to end this. He knew he wasn't the one crying – so that either left Sam, or there was a leak in the ceiling. With another sigh he slowly lifted his lids and looked straight into a pair of blue eyes, shining with tears.

"You okay?" he asked softly, grateful that he was at least sounding more coherent.

She let out a sniff – which made him want to smile and comfort her at the same time – and nodded. "I'm sorry Sir", she said. "I think it's all just – catching up to me. I thought -"

"I know Carter", he answered gently, "me too." Although her hand had stopped its soothing motion, she didn't move, allowing his head to continue resting on her thighs. He knew as soon as she realized she'd get all embarrassed, but for now she stayed still, and he certainly wasn't about to say anything.

"I wanted -" he stopped, closing his eyes briefly. "I couldn't help you – I'm sorry Sam. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah", she smiled. "A bit bruised and battered but nothing serious. I don't think he wanted to do any permanent damage although it wasn't very pleasant at the time."

Jack's face darkened when he remembered what the other guy had done to her. He hoped he was in pain right now. He then remembered what the Professor had said when the man was dragging her out – oh hell! He tried to sit up but she pushed him back down. "Are you – did he – oh God Sam, are you sure you're okay?"

She laid her hand gently on his chest as she pushed him back down. "I'm fine Sir – he didn't get a chance to hurt me anymore. You – I guess you must have used the box because he was suddenly thrown against the wall and that was the end of it. I had to find his knife to get the ropes off, which is why it took me a while to get here. I'm sorry about that."

"Sorry?" he grinned – feeling terribly relieved. "You were pretty amazing when you clobbered that guy with the chair. I'll have to remember that one. You looked like an avenging angel!"

"An angel – with a chair? I just wished I'd had a gun then I could have stopped the-" she paused. "Sir?" she suddenly asked.

"Yeah?" He had closed his eyes again, feeling slightly nauseous and very tired.

"What happened?"

"Huh?" he opened one eye to look at her. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you were still tied up but the box – it opened and the Professor – what's his name by the way?"

Jack shrugged. "Don't know if I heard it. I called him that too!" he grinned. "He reminded me of my old History prof."

"Yeah – me too", she giggled, but then her expression grew serious. "But the box Sir. What happened? I didn't see anyone else here so how did it work?"

He looked at her, feeling confused. "I don't know. I didn't –" Suddenly his eyes flew to hers. "I remember wishing that I could do the same thing to him as I'd done to Reznick. I was so angry at the guy for hurting you – and hell, for hurting me. But – Sam, I didn't, I mean I wasn't – I wasn't touching the damned box so how the hell did that happen?"

"I don't know", she looked at him in concern. "Maybe it has some kind of residual – memory or something. Maybe the effects last for a while after you've touched it or something. I just don't know. We'll have to test it and see."

"No! There is no way I'm having anything to do with the damn thing ever again. It's too dangerous – for earth and certainly for us - for me. As long as it's around people are going to stop at nothing to try and make it work. I won't have any part of that."

"But Sir – without the box we'd have been hurt even worse – or killed even."

"It it hadn't been for the box Major we wouldn't have been in this position in the first place. Nope – there is no way in _hell_ I'm going anywhere near that thing! God, I could end up killing anyone I got irritated at."

"I don't think so Sir", she said.

"What do you mean? I've already done it."

"No – at least I don't think so. I mean, except for Sopdu, who disappeared, you haven't killed anyone. Oh, some of them are hurt badly and I suppose they could die – but they certainly didn't die immediately."

"But – " he said, looking confused. "I remember wishing them dead. When that guy was hurting you – and I knew what – he intended", he looked at her apologetically, "I wanted him to die – and that's what I said."

"I know, and that's what makes me think that maybe you _can't_ wish someone dead. It may have some kind of a failsafe that doesn't allow for – direct killing."

"But look at Sopdu – I killed him."

"Did you? All we know is he disappeared. Maybe he's – out there somewhere, still alive."

"Oh great Carter – you would have to say that! What if he's terrorizing some other planet?"

"Possibly although I somehow doubt it." She suddenly grinned. "Or maybe he's walking around invisible – you know, like Daniel was that time – unable to communicate with anyone."

"Now that would be a fitting end for a Goa'uld. As arrogant as they are – can you imagine being totally ignored for the rest of your life?"

They smiled at each other, although Jack was still feeling worried about the damned box. He knew the NID – hell, the entire government – was probably interested in seeing what he could do with it. They had to figure something out – and quick."

Just then they both heard a noise. Sam looked at him and then gently moved out from under him, placing his head on the ground. Damn! This was not nearly so nice.

"I'll check and see."

"Be careful Sam", he frowned. "We know the Professor and the others were working for _someone_. It could be him."

"Or her", she answered.

Sam carefully moved towards the door, holding on to the Professor's gun – Jack had forgotten about it. He watched as she listened carefully and immediately relaxed when she smiled. She turned to him. "Rescue", she mouthed. She moved back and sat down next to him. "We might as well wait."

A few seconds later the door burst open and SG3 rushed in, weapons drawn.

"It's about time", Jack said, trying to sit up. It was only then that he realized – hell – he was just wearing his boxers! He'd been lying this whole time, practically naked, on top of his -"

"Is everything okay Jack?" Colonel Reynolds said, as soon as it looked as if everything was secure. When he spotted the two unconscious men he motioned to Bosco and Petersen to secure the prisoners.

"Yeah fine – Carter saved our butts – again."

"Yeah, I can see that O'Neill", Reynolds said, brows raised. "Nice uniform!" he grinned.

"Bite me Reynolds", Jack growled. He'd just remembered that they'd had a damn hose in him – and he vaguely remembered telling Carter to take it out. God, he hoped that was just a hallucination. "If we'd had to wait for you guys the evil scientist over there would have taken over the world already!"

"There are two more – that we know of Colonel", Carter told Reynolds. "Four doors down there's a room with a man in it – he's injured but be careful – he's strong. There's also another guy, but I don't know where he is."

"Don't worry Major, we'll check it out. Uh – you okay Jack?" He'd realized that Jack looked terrible, pale and covered in blood.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. It looks worse than it is."

"It's bad enough Sir", Sam answered with a scowl.

"The medics are on their way", Reynolds interjected. It was only then that he realized Major Carter didn't look much better than O'Neill.

"You guys okay?" Daniel rushed in, followed closely by Teal'c. "Oh God Jack – what happened?" He practically ran over to O'Neil. It was when he squatted down beside the Colonel that Sam noticed, although she figured she was the only one who saw, the Colonel flinch as Daniel reached out to him. He covered it up almost instantly, but it told a lot about how traumatic the whole situation had been for him. She was pretty sure he'd suffer some nightmares about this.

"They tortured him Daniel", she said calmly – more calmly than she felt. "The cuts aren't deep although he's lost a lot of blood. What's worse than that is they've administered some kind of drug. Make sure someone takes samples of the drug back for Janet. She'll need to have it analyzed."

"But you're okay?" Daniel asked Jack again.

"I'm fine Daniel – just a little – tired. Carter here was hurt too – she needs to be checked out."

"You'll both be checked out", Reynolds said as he came over to the two lying on the floor. "The medics will be here shortly and you'll be transported back to the SGC via ambulance."

"We don't need -"

"No arguments Jack", Reynolds told him. "Janet's orders – and you know as well as me that it's never wise to disobey _those_ orders."

"Yeah", Jack answered grumpily. He closed his eyes, suddenly feeling exhausted and overwhelmed with everything. He knew the drug was still affecting him – but beyond that was his fear of what was going to happen with the box. Still – the one good thing was that Sam was okay. He smiled slightly – no, there was another good thing – he'd got to enjoy her lap for quite a while.

He faded out after that. He was vaguely aware that the medics arrived and he was hooked up to an IV – again! He did appreciate the warm blankets that were placed over him and allowed himself to simply float as he was taken back to the SGC in the ambulance. The only thing he made sure of was that Carter came with him.

"She's hurt", he told Teal'c at one point, when he realized his friend was sticking close.

"I know O'Neill. Do not be concerned, she will be looked after well. Dr. Frasier is prepared for both of you."

"That's my fear Teal'c", he murmured. He didn't remember anything else until he woke up in the Infirmary.

"Colonel, how are you feeling?" Janet was bending over him, looking at him.

"Fine", he said quietly, wanting to go back to sleep.

"Stay with me now Sir. I need to check out your responses. I need to know if the drug is still affecting you."

"Mmmm hmmm", he answered groggily.

"Uh Sir – what do you mean?"

"Still – feel it Janet", he managed to get out. It was true – he'd thought the drug was starting to wear off, but the feeling had come back and he was starting to feel like he'd done after receiving the second dose. "Don't – feel so – good –", he told her.

"Damn."

He wanted to grin – it wasn't very often that he heard the Doc curse – but he couldn't muster up enough energy. He just wanted to – He began to doze.

"DANIEL!" he suddenly screamed. "NO!" He had to get away – Daniel was trying to hurt him again – trying to cut him. He wanted to cut off his fingers. "NO!" he screamed again, trying to move, to flee. He managed to flip away from the man trying to hurt him.

"_Colonel!"_ Janet watched in horror as the Colonel threw himself out of bed, landing with a loud 'crack' on the floor. The sudden stillness frightened her and she ran around to the other side of the bed, only to find her patience lying in a heap, the covers tangled up around him. What was frightening was the pool of blood around his head. He'd cracked the side of his head against the rails on the next bed.

"_Teal'c_", she shouted, knowing the man was waiting just outside. He burst into the room.

"What is it - " He didn't need to finish his question as he immediately saw the Colonel on the floor, with Dr. Frasier kneeling beside him. "Is he alright?" he asked.

"He's cracked his head open and I'll have to take some X-rays, but nothing else seems to be wrong. I was worried that he'd broken his neck! Teal'c, help me get him back into bed."

The two of them together managed to get the unconscious officer onto his bed. Janet quickly checked him over again and finally stood back, looking slightly relieved. "I think he's okay. God, that scared me."

"What happened Dr. Frasier?" Teal'c asked.

"I think he had some kind of flash back or reaction to the drugs still in his system", she said. "We're still trying to find out what was in the stuff they gave him. I'd hoped it would have cleared out of him by now but the latest blood tests show it's still present in his bloodstream."

"And do you know what it did Janet?" Daniel had just entered the room and had caught the last of Janet's comments.

"According to Sam it was used to somehow cloud his mind so that he'd believe what was happening was real and they could then control him when he used the box", she explained. "Beyond that I don't really know. Dr. Warner is with Sam now – checking her out. When he's done – if she's up to it – we'll find out more."

Once the Colonel was settled in – his IV reestablished, the portable X-ray machine brought over and pictures taken and looked at and his bed remade, the others left. Frasier left a nurse on duty with O'Neill. "And don't leave him alone – even for a second", she instructed. "If you have to leave for a few minutes, make sure there's someone here first. Also – if he starts to dream or hallucinate, call me immediately and _don't go near him_! He's extremely dangerous when he's agitated."

"Sam?" Janet peeked around the curtain in the other examining room. Sam was cleaned up and was lying in the bed under a stack of blankets. She looked drowsy and relaxed. "You up to some visitors?" she asked. "Daniel and Teal'c are here and would like to see you."

"Sure", she said sleepily. "And the Colonel?" she wanted to know.

"He's sleeping Sam. He's going to be okay – the wounds weren't too bad. I only had to sew up a couple and I've got him on an IV. The main thing is getting the drugs out of his system. I expect he'll be okay in a day or so."

"Good. I was worried – he seemed so – out of it and he looked awful."

"The Colonel is pretty strong Sam – I'm sure he'll be fine. Now you take it easy and you should be able to get out of here in a few hours. I just want to check you once more before you go. I'm going to head back in to see the Colonel. Enjoy your guests!"

Sam looked up then and smiled. "Hi guys!" she said as her two teammates came around the curtain. "It's good to see you."

"As it is you Major Carter", Teal'c smiled. "I am relieved to see you looking much improved."

"Thanks Teal'c. I feel better too."

"Sam", Daniel leaned forward and gave her a careful hug. "We're so glad you're okay. We were really worried."

"You and me both Daniel", she said seriously. "The Professor was – quite frightening. Any idea who he is?"

"Yeah. His name's Charles Knightly. He's a biochemist and he used to work for Biotex International."

"Never heard of it", she said.

"No, I hadn't either, but we did some research and guess who they've done work for?"

"Let me guess – the NID?"

"Bingo!"

Teal'c looked at him, confused. "Why would the NID wish work done on a children's game?"

"Children's game?" Now it was Daniel's turn to look confused. "Oh – no Teal'c, that's just an expression. I meant she's right, it was the NID."

Teal'c nodded and the other two shared a grin. Poor Teal'c – he still occasionally got confused with earth expressions, although Daniel often wondered if his confusion was real – or simply done out of some secret, quirky sense of humor.

"So, the NID have used him – or at least his company. That definitely points to whoever was in charge being from there. Do we have any leads?" Sam wanted to know.

"No, not really. Samuels is checking things out, trying to figure out who else could have known about the box." Daniel told her.

"_Samuels_? Isn't he one of the prime suspects?"

"Well, not really. I mean, he was bashed over the head when you were kidnapped and left for dead. And what would be the purpose anyway? He already had Jack and the box."

Sam looked at him and giggled at his words. It took Daniel a few minutes before he realized and then he burst into laughter as well. "God, I never thought of that! He's never going to live it down now."

Teal'c just stood there and shook his head, still amazed at the power humans had to move from intense situations into humor at the least provocation. O'Neill was the master at it, but the others could be as – irritating!

"So", she grew serious, "we have no ideas? What about Knightly and the others? Have they said anything at all?"

"Not yet. They're all – uh – in hospital and none of them are conscious yet. It looks like the young guy – I think his name is Marcus -"

"Marco", she interrupted.

"Yeah, Marco – was the least hurt but the doctors say it'll probably be a day before he can talk. I don't know what you guys did, but the bad guys _definitely_ came out the worse on this one."

"I'm glad", she answered fiercely. "They deserved it!"

"Anyway, I'm sure we'll find whoever it was. One of them will have to talk," Daniel told her. "Sam, you're looking tired so we'd better go. Get some sleep. We'll figure it out, I promise."

She watched her friends leave and then lay back down, feeling tired and sore. She thought about Jack – no, the Colonel – although she couldn't help but grin again when she thought about 'Jack and the box'. She closed her eyes and sighed. Everything was going to be fine – she hoped. Her last conscious thought was how strange it was for Samuels to be 'one of the good guys' for once.

When Jack woke up again he was feeling much better. At least he was feeling more coherent and less fuzzy-headed. Physically he felt like crap. Everything ached and his skin stung where he'd been cut – the bastard! He suddenly wondered what had happened with the guys who had kidnapped Carter and him. He hoped they all had humongous headaches! He then had a second thought, wondering if any of them had died. It gave him a horrible feeling to think that he could have killed someone like that – even if they did deserve it for hurting Carter.

"You're awake Sir. How are you feeling?" How in hell did she _do _that he wondered. Janet would make a great spy, he thought. She could sneak up on someone without any warning at all.

"Well _I_ think I'm fine Doc but I'm sure you're gonna tell me how I really am", he said sarcastically.

"Hmmm, I can see you're in fine form Colonel. Feeling a bit snarky are we?" Without waiting for an answer she began to take his vital signs. She didn't say anything more and suddenly he felt ashamed for his bad behavior. He was also interested to hear what she had to say. The one thing he could always count on with Doc Frasier was her honesty – something he appreciated.

"So how am I Doc, _really?" _he asked.

She looked at him suspiciously, obviously waiting for some other comment. When it didn't come she relaxed. "You actually are doing fine Colonel", she told him. "Your last blood work came back clean and other than that you just have some bruises – and the cuts of course. I want to keep you another twenty-four hours" she stopped and held up her hand when he went to object. "No argument Sir. You were given a lot of the drug and we have to make sure you're clean. You had a bit of a relapse yesterday and I want to make sure it doesn't happen again."

He settled back down, knowing she was right and only had his best interests at heart. There was really no point in arguing or causing trouble. He _could_ be a good patient when he wanted to be.

"Yeah, okay Doc!" he answered, secretly pleased at the surprised look on her face. He loved to be able to confuse her! "But could I get something decent to eat? They didn't give me anything in that place and I'm starving."

"I'll see what I can do Sir", she smiled, willing to give a little since he was being so cooperative. "How about I ask Sam or Daniel to pick something up for you?"

"Hey that would be great! By the way, how's Carter?"

"She's fine Colonel. Like you she's pretty bruised but there was no lasting damage. I kept her in but once I was sure she was okay I let her go. She spent last night at home but she's planning to come in shortly." She moved away from his bed, holding the chart. "I'll get Daniel to come and see you and you can figure out what you want to eat. I would suggest nothing too heavy as your system is still recovering. Get something with iron in it – you lost a lot of blood and your hemoglobin is a bit low."

"Doc", he whined, "don't take all the fun out of it. I want to enjoy my meal – not worry about replenishing anything but calories!"

She laughed and left him, pleased at how well he was doing. For a while there she'd been worried that there could be some kind of permanent damage but everything was looking good. They'd had the drug analyzed and it was simply a more sophisticated, stronger version of some common hallucinogenic drugs.

By the next morning he was really ready to go home. He was still sore, although some of the cuts were starting to itch like the devil. He just needed to be in his own house, in front of his own TV – and not have anyone tell him what to do and when! He also needed some time to process everything that had happened.

They still didn't know who was behind the kidnapping. Marco had woken up but didn't know anything other than the fact that the man who had paid them was 'frightening' and would kill them when he heard they'd screwed up.

Adam too had awoken, although he had suffered a severe head trauma and it would be awhile before he recovered enough to stand trial. He too indicated he didn't know who was behind everything. "I was just hired to hurt the guy", he'd said. "I was told not to kill him, just to give him some pain. I did what I was told and nothing else."

Daniel rolled his eyes, wondering at the stupidity of some people. He'd essentially given a confession and he didn't even realize it.

The two other men – Benjamin and Knightly – hadn't woken up yet. They were both seriously injured and there was a question as to whether or not either would wake up. Jack hoped so, on a whole bunch of levels.

As he sat on his couch, later that day, all alone except for the voice of the TV weatherman, he leaned back and thought again about the box. Hammond hadn't decided yet what to do with it. He was waiting for word from the President. Jack didn't think he was going to like whatever was decided.

Without warning a bright light appeared in his living room – and he was gone. As he appeared on the Asgaard vessel he couldn't help but think of the strange life he led.

"Thor!" he said, advancing with his arms out. "Long time no see. How's things hangin?"


	24. Jack and the Box

_**Sorry for the delay in posting! The first week of school has kept me busy!**_

"O'Neill, it is good to see you", the little gray alien answered. "Although it appears as if you have been injured."

"Yeah, well, you know me – can't stay out of trouble."

"Indeed", Thor answered.

Jack grinned, wondering if he'd been hanging around Teal'c too long.

"Would you like me to heal you?" Thor then asked. "Your injuries do not appear serious so it would only take a moment."

"Well, if you could get rid of this damned itching I'd be grateful. The cuts are healing and it's driving me insane."

"Certainly. A short time in a healing pod should resolve that problem with no difficulty."

"Yeah – okay, thanks. But before that can you tell me what's up? I mean, it's not that I'm not glad to see you but I'm wondering why you beamed me up." He suddenly frowned. "You don't need help with the bugs again do you?" He hoped not – he still had nightmares from the last time.

Thor blinked slowly at him. "I do not believe we have – bugs – on this ship O'Neill."

"No", O'Neill grinned, "I meant replicators – you know, those metallic insect thingies."

"Oh, yes, now I understand. No, we are doing fine in regards to the replicators. I am here because we received word from General Hammond. He indicated that you required assistance."

"Me? General Hammond?" Jack looked confused. "Uh – not that I know of", he said slowly. "Did he give a hint as to what he meant?"

"Yes, he sent word that you had discovered an ancient device and that someone from your planet had stolen you and this item. It appears, however, that you were able to get away from this person. Since I was close I thought I would enquire if you still needed assistance."

"Did General Hammond tell you anything about the - ur - device?"

"Yes, he informed me that it was a small box that would open upon your touch and that gave you what you desired."

"Yeah, that's it. You don't know anything about it do you? I'd like to get rid of the damn thing but the US government wants to figure out how it works."

"Yes", Thor answered.

"Uh – yes? Does that mean you know how it works?"

"I know what it was used for. As for how it works – it is very complex. It was built by the Ancients many years ago – before they decided, as a race, to ascend. I have not seen or heard of one for many years."

"So – it's complex – but you _do _know how to work it? Can you turn it off?"

"Unfortunately we are unable to operate it", he said. "The Asgaard attempted to study it many times but were not able to discover anything about its workings. We could neither start nor stop it."

"Damn – I hoped you would know something about the stupid thing. I'm really beginning to hate it!"

"I do know _how_ it was used, if that is helpful."

"Oh yeah – that would be good. Uh Thor – do you mind if I sit down? It's a little tiring standing up." He didn't want to admit it, but he was still recuperating from his time with the Professor. He'd really rather be at his cabin right now, sitting on a chair enjoying the sunlight and fresh air.

"Certainly O'Neill." With a touch of a crystal a chair appeared behind Jack. He sighed in relief when he sat down. Maybe he should have taken Thor up on the offer of the pod right away. "So, I assume it was a weapon of some sort?" he asked, once he felt more relaxed.

"Weapon?" Thor repeated, sounding surprised. "No, it was not a weapon. It was a training toy used for young children."

"_What? _You're telling me that thing is a damned toy!"

"Yes – well, it was used for instructional purposes", Thor told him, as if trying to appease him.

"What the hell kind of instruction did they give their kids with _that_ thing?"

"You have to understand, O'Neill, that the Ancients were a powerful race. Before they ascended they had evolved well past where human beings are today. They had developed many powers – which could be used both for good and for ill. The box – it was called an Ensenor – was a way that parents could teach their children the dangers of extreme power."

"I believe that – about dangers anyway. So, how did they use the damned thing?"

"The Ensenor allowed the user to receive whatever it desired or things about which it was thinking. Parents would allow their child to use the box and ask for what they wanted. They would then watch as the child had to deal with the consequences of their requests. The ability to get whatever we want is dangerous and, as I'm sure you area aware, can lead to much heartache. The box taught the child that it was wise to be careful what you wished for."

"Okay – I can get that, but wasn't it dangerous? I mean, the kid could have hurt itself or other people with that thing."

"The parent had the ability to control the box – and the outcomes. If it appeared it was getting out of hand they would stop it from working."

"So there _is_ a way to stop it", Jack said, sounding relieved.

"For Ancient ones, yes. For anyone else – not that we know of."

"Crap! So what happened after the kids learned their lesson? Did they pass the box down to their brothers and sisters?" Jack wanted to find out as much about the box as he could. He was pretty sure the NID was going to insist on more tests.

"Only one person could use each box. Once opened, it 'imprinted' itself on the user and no one else could ever open it."

"Really? Thank God", Jack replied. "I was worried someone would get a hold of it and cause trouble."

"No, only you are able to do that." Thor answered, with another slow blink.

Jack squinted at his friend – wondering if he'd just been insulted. "Okay – so I'm the only one who can use it. That's good. The problem is I'm afraid my government is going to insist that I _do_ use it and I could end up hurting someone or I could refuse and get in trouble for insubordination!"

"It is possible that you could hurt someone, since there would be no adults around to stop you."

"Hey – I'm an adult."

"Yes, however you are but a child as far as the Ancients are concerned. You most likely have the power of an adult, without the ability to understand or control it as the Ancients did. There is also no one who would be able to stop you or to control how you used it."

"I know – I already caused a few – problems and I think I even killed someone!"

"No, I do not believe it would allow for that. My understanding is that there were certain things it was unable to do – and to bring death to others was one of them."

"Really? Tell that to old Soapdish!"

Another blink. "Who?"

"Uh – Sopdu, I think his name is - was. He's a Goa'uld – or at least _was_ a Goa'uld. He tried to kill me and I kind of – made him disappear. I was holding the En – ur box at the time."

"I see. He disappeared?"

"Yeah – never to be seen again. Poof! All gone. Sayonara Sopdu!"

"He is most likely alive then", Thor answered. "The Ensenor _does_ allow the owner to use it to protect oneself – or those it cares about. If Sopdu was intent on harming you he could have been made to disappear, although I believe it would only have been long enough for you to be safe. He then would have reappeared."

"Oops. So, he could still be back on the planet? I bet he's not a happy camper. You see, we kind of uh – stole his ship. He was most likely left stranded on the planet." Jack thought about it for a moment and then shrugged. "Probably the best solution anyway." He shrugged again, not wanting to think about the Goa'uld. "So, getting back to the box – you say I couldn't kill someone? Well, I almost did. I threw a good man against a wall and he practically died. Fortunately the box healed him and he's okay – but it was close."

"The box cannot heal", Thor answered directly. "If he was healed it was as a result of your Ancient blood. The box is really nothing more than an – how do you put it – amplifier for your powers."

"What? No way! I can't heal anybody and I certainly have no powers – except maybe after eating a couple of Mama Garcia's spicy bean burritos. But other than that, I'm just a normal guy. It's the box that's doing all this stuff and I want to figure out how to stop it. I don't want the government to decide that I am some kind of secret weapon and lock me up only to bring me out when they want me to blast someone!"

"I am sorry O'Neill, but the box does not have any powers of its own – that we know. As I said, it amplifies the powers you already have. It is my belief that over time you would have come to discover them in a much more controlled manner. As it is, the Ensenor allowed you to access them sooner that was perhaps wise. I believe, however, that now that you have discovered them, you should be able to start using them without the box. In fact – after a while the box will cease to work as you will control your own destiny."

"Nope!" Jack answered, shaking his head. "Ain't gonna happen. I'm a plain, regular old guy – a career soldier – not some superhero. It's the box", he said definitively.

"You have not noticed any ability when you were not touching it?" Thor pushed back.

"No – nothing! It was only when -" His eyes suddenly lifted to Thor, who was standing in front of him. "Holy cow – no, that couldn't have been. It was just a – a – nope, no way."

"What is it O'Neill? Did something happen?"

Jack took a deep breath and scowled furiously. He knew he had to reason to be mad at Thor – it wasn't the little guy's fault, but he felt somehow that it _was_. "Okay – yeah, there was once – but it was just a left-over power thingy from the box, that's all." When his Asgaard friend continued to stare at him he shifted uncomfortably. "Okay fine, so one of the bad guys got thrown against a wall and knocked out. He was gonna hurt Carter."

"And you?" Thor asked.

"Me? Well, I was – kind of – tied up. The box was close though", he said hopefully. Surely that counted for something.

"You see, your woman was in danger and you were able to access your powers without the help of the box."

"Hey! She's not my woman – she's – Major Carter", he said, standing up suddenly. "And it _was_ the damn box."

"I apologize Colonel O'Neill. I did not mean to imply anything. I had understood that you and Major Carter were more than teammates. As for the box – I am afraid it can only work when being held by its owner."

"Damn!" He paced back and forth, glancing occasionally out the window at the beautiful site of earth below. Right now, unfortunately, it didn't impress him the way it usually did. He just knew he was royally screwed. He did not want to have any special powers. He could see his future now – Jonathan O'Neill – lab rat!

"If you would like", Thor replied. "I can remove the box and take it with me to Othalla. I am sure some of our scientists would welcome the opportunity to again study it. It has been many years since we have seen one."

"I'm afraid my government would know you took it Thor and I don't think they'd be very happy about it. They'd probably demand that you brought it right back."

"I understand", the little alien answered.

Jack stood looking out at the planet for a few minutes. Suddenly he straightened up. "Wait a second. Thor, you can create things using your computers can't you?"

"Yes, if it is something we have the schematics for", Thor replied.

"Then you can make another box!"

"I am sorry O'Neill, but as I told you, they are much too complex. I would not be able to recreate it."

"No, no, not a real one – but you could make a fake one, couldn't you? I mean, one that looked real?"

Thor blinked – "yes indeed", he answered, almost sounding excited. "I could even ensure that it only opened for you but that is all it would do."

"Excellent! No wait, it would be best if it didn't open at all. That way we could say that it stopped working – it had run out of wishes or something. The NID would leave me alone then."

"If you wish", Thor answered. "Would you like me to do it now?"

"Let's see", Jack looked at his watch. "I think it would be best to do it in the middle of the night. That way nobody should be studying it and it should be locked away. Can you do it so no one will notice? I wouldn't want the alarms to go off or anything."

"I may be able to although I will have to find out where it is being held."

"I tell you what. Send me back and I'll check it out and let you know. Do you have some sort of radio or something I can use to contact you?"

"Yes, I shall give you a communications crystal."

"Excellent. When I tell you to you can beam the thing up, recreate a fake one and send it back down and no one on earth will be the wiser." He frowned. "Except Carter of course. She's usually pretty good at figuring things out. I wonder if I should warn her?" He thought for a moment. "Nah – it's best if she doesn't know. She can claim plausible deniability if it ever comes out. This is great Thor. You can beam me back now and we'll get to work on it right away. The sooner that box is gone the better!"

"Do you not wish me to heal you O'Neill?" Thor looked almost tired as he watched the whirlwind that was an excited O'Neill pacing around his control room.

Jack sighed. "Better not I guess. They'd know I saw you and I think it's better that we keep it between us." He sighed again. "Still, I wish you could get rid of the damned itching! It's driving me crazy."

He really was going crazy, he decided later that afternoon, as he sat back on his couch. He desperately wanted to scratch his chest. Unfortunately, he knew if he did it would probably hurt – and Janet would kill him, which would be even worse. Hey – maybe he _did_ have powers and he could stop the itching. He closed his eyes and thought about it. 'Go away damned itch!' he repeated to himself, over and over. Instead of going away, it made him think about it even more.

"Aaaargh!" he screamed. Maybe if he took a bath? No, Janet said not yet. He needed to do something or he was going to kill –

The doorbell rang and he practically jumped off the couch and ran to open it. _Anything_ to take his mind off of the damned itching.

"Daniel, Teal'c – Carter. What are you guys doing here?" he asked. Normally he would have been irritated – sometimes his team could be a bunch of mother hens – but he admitted that this time he was just glad to see them.

"Uh – we just thought we'd come over and see if you were up for some Chinese", Daniel asked, carefully pushing up his glasses.

"No", he answered, and wanted to grin at the faces of his teammates. They were expecting to be told off. "I _could _be persuaded to have some Mexican though. I have a craving for some enchiladas!"

Sam grinned and Teal'c looked – not stern. Daniel actually breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well come on in then. Don't just stand there. The neighbors will talk."

"I'm sure they talk about you already Jack", Daniel told him as he entered, followed closely by the other two.

"Nah", Jack answered with a grin. "They all know me too well and I'm just boring. Mrs. McTeagle now – _she's_ one they talk about. Then of course there's Archibald Farquahr – he's a constant source of gossip."

Sam grinned. "Who's Mrs. McTeagle Sir", she asked, knowing he was about to regale them with something amusing.

"Who's Mrs. McTeagle you ask", he said in a creepy Boris Karloff voice. "Why it's been said she keeps people locked up in her basement. If you walk by on a still, dark night you can hear them moaning and groaning."

"I see", Daniel said, rolling his eyes. "And why does she keep them locked up Jack?"

"Why? Because they ask too many questions", he replied, his eyebrow raised as if the answer was obvious.

"Really?" Daniel answered, sounding amused. "Just for asking questions?"

"Indeed Daniel Jackson", Teal'c turned to him and spoke. "Have we not also been locked up – many times – when you have asked too many questions? It is obvious that it is not only on other planets that this happens."

Jack began to laugh, followed closely by Sam. "Touché Teal'c! So there Daniel – a warning. Never try and ask Mrs. McTeagle any questions! Now Archibald -"

"- Farquahr?" Daniel asked, sounding thoroughly skeptical. "What, does he keep people in his basement too? I suppose I'm not supposed to talk to him either."

Jack laughed again. "On the contrary – you can talk to him as much as you like. He loves visitors. He's a retired Navy Captain and loves telling old sea stories."

"Ok-ay", Daniel said, waiting for the punch line. "So why do people gossip about him all the time?"

"Why? Oh, that's probably because he's nearing 90, if he's a day – and he has a young, sexy looking wife. Everybody gossips about him all the time. They're either jealous – or amazed he can keep going with her around." He grinned. "Although everyone figures that when he does go, he'll go with a smile on his face!"

They all laughed, although Daniel looked as if he wasn't quite sure whether or not Jack was telling the truth. In the end it really didn't matter though. It was just good to see the Colonel so relaxed and happy. He didn't think he'd seen him like this since before he found that damned box.

They had a fun evening together, although Jack complained loud and long about the itching. They ended up playing poker and eating beer and junk food. In the end Jack made everyone bunk down at his place rather than allow them to drive. "You've all had too much to drink – okay, except for you Teal'c – although you certainly polished off a lot of ginger ale and that _has_ to have some affect! No point in calling a cab and then just having to make it back here in the morning. I have plenty of room."

He got everyone settled – he gave Sam the guest bedroom and the guys bunked out in the living room. Just as she went to turn in Jack took her arm.

"Yes Sir?" she asked, looking at him in surprise.

"You okay Sam?" he asked. "You went through a lot yourself."

"I'm fine Sir", she replied with a smile. "I'm just glad we got out okay. I only wish I knew who was behind it."

"We'll find him, don't worry", he smiled. "Uh – the box – is it still at the SGC?"

"Yes", she answered. "It's supposed to be moved in the next couple of days to Area 51 but until then it's locked up in one of the storage rooms on level 23. There's a 24 hour guard on it and the room is secured and Siler and I are the only one with keys. It should be perfectly safe – at least until it leaves the SGC."

"Good", he said pursing his lips and nodding. He suddenly grinned. "Good to know Sam. Well, you'd best get to bed. Have a good sleep."

"You too Sir", she said, sounding confused. Something was up but she didn't know what. She stood there for a moment as he simply looked at her. Suddenly his expression changed – becoming much more intense. She swayed slightly forward and he looked down at her mouth. The moment became charged with electricity –

"Hey Jack – do you have a new toothbrush I could use?"

Jack blinked and then stepped back hurriedly. "Uh – yeah", he called, although he was still looking at Sam. "I'm –" he didn't know quite what to say to her.

"I'd better be getting to -" she gestured towards her room.

"Uh yeah – late night – uh _coming Daniel_." He gave a small smile and escaped down the hall.

Sam walked in her room and softly closed the door. She took a deep breath and leaned against the wall. What had she just done? Crap – knowing how he felt – knowing how she felt – this was just becoming too difficult. She was really afraid that if Daniel hadn't been there – things would have – could have – gone too far.

He lay in bed cursing himself. Here she was, an officer under his command, staying at his house and he'd practically – practically what? He frowned, thinking about it. He wasn't quite sure what that was all about, except her lips had drawn him in. He'd almost succumbed, almost leaned forward and –

"_Jack – Teal'c needs a different pillow. The feathers are making him sneeze!"_

He wished he had the box because he _really wanted to kill Daniel_. He got up and got another pillow, walked out to the living room and threw it at Teal'c. Without another word he turned and headed back to his room. Maybe, just maybe, he'd get that fantasy back again.

"What was wrong with him?" Daniel stood there, looking after Jack's retreating back.

"He must have been insulted that I did not like his pillow", Teal'c answered.

"Yeah – guess so." With a shrug Daniel got under the covers and went to sleep.

"Thor", Jack spoke softly into the crystal after he was sure everyone had gone to bed.

"Yes O'Neill", Thor answered in a piping loud voice.

"Shhh! Speak quietly. I've got my team here and I don't want them to know about this."

There was a pause and then a whispered. "Alright O'Neill. Do you know where it is?"

Jack told him what he knew and was assured that the Asgaard would take care of it. For the first time in a long time he went to sleep without worrying about dangerous and stupid alien technology. Soon it would be out of his life. And he didn't care what Thor said – he _did not have powers!_

'So', he thought as he settled back, Sam's lips! He closed his eyes and allowed himself the indulgence of actually thinking about her. He remembered back to the time loop kiss and just wished he could do it again.


	25. Dead Battery

"Jack, the President wants you to try and use the box again. He feels it's just too important to _not_ try and figure it out. If you can learn to control it – and if others can as well, it could give us a real advantage over our enemies." George sounded sincere but Jack knew the General was trying to convince himself as much as him. He knew the dangers and how easy it was for something like that to get out of control.

His first reaction was to simply agree – to go try it, find out it didn't work (surprise, surprise) and then come back to the SGC. He realized in time, however, that that would look suspicious. There's no way anyone would expect him to give in so easily.

"And if I don't agree Sir?" he asked.

"I'm afraid you have no choice Jack. The President doesn't feel that there's any harm to you so you don't really have a reason to refuse. It's not invasive or harmful. They're not going to perform experiments – they just want you to hold it and show them how it works."

"But I don't _know_ how it works", he said, running his hands through his hair. "All I know is that every time I've touched it I've hurt someone."

"Not every time Sir", Carter spoke for the first time in the discussion. "Remember when we first experimented and you thought of – ice-cream and cake. Nothing bad happened then."

"Actually nothing happened at all", he explained. "Other than the fact that I had a nice, relaxing nap."

"But still, no one was hurt Colonel. It was only when you thought there was a threat that it - affected – other people."

"Affected? That's a nice way of putting it." He turned to the General. "Have Knightly and the other guy come out of their comas yet?"

Hammond grimaced. "Well – not yet, although the doctors are hopeful."

"Yeah – hopeful! See Carter – I hurt them badly and could do it again."

"Look Sir – I promise I'll stay with you and we'll monitor it closely. If you feel any negative emotions -"

"The NID will be _there_ Carter. What kind of emotions do you think I'll feel?"

"Yes Sir – we can make sure they're not there, at least that they're not in the room. It will only be a couple of the scientists from Area 51 and myself. It should be okay."

"Famous last words Carter!" Jack answered. By the look on Hammond's face – and Carter's – he'd been convincing enough. " Okay – let's get this show on the road! I want to get this thing over with and then never see that damn box again!"

This time there was no trouble on the way to the airport – and they made it just fine to Area 51. When Jack exited the plane he was hit by a blast of hot desert air.

"Oh yeah – I forgot what this was like!" he said. "Can't say as I've missed it!"

"Were you ever stationed in Nevada Colonel", Carter asked. She'd never really heard much about his service other than about his time in Iraq.

"Just for a year before Sara and I were married." He grinned. "Gotta say that as hot as it was – being close to Vegas, when you're young and single – had its advantages!"

"Hmmm", she grinned back. "I can just imagine!"

"Oh, I hope not Carter", he waggled his eyebrows.

She stopped and looked at him. "You forget Sir – I was once young and single. _And_ I've also been to Vegas!" With that she moved forward until she got to the car that was waiting for them.

He narrowed his eyes and watched her walk away. Oooh Carter, he said to himself. You bad woman you! He smiled – quite loving the thought.

When they arrived at Area 51 his favorite person was there waiting for them. "Simmons", he nodded, noticing that the guy still had the remnants of a black eye. "Sorry about your – " he waved his hand in the direction of Simmons' face.

"I'm fine O'Neill but I'm sorry about what happened. I feel like it was my fault."

"Yeah – well – any idea yet who it was?" Jack was trying hard to be polite, although he was actually enjoying the black eye. He'd wanted to give the man one for a long time.

"No – but we will. We're still searching. Uh – where's the -"

"Little black box?" Jack smiled – a thoroughly insincere expression. "Carter has it."

"Yes Sir", Carter stepped forward, holding a simple, plain carry-on bag. "It's in here."

"Good. I suggest we make our way down to the lab and get going. I expect you'd like to get out of here as fast as possible O'Neill."

"Faster", Jack answered. "But let's go."

The three of them entered into the cool of the air conditioned building. Simmons clearly knew exactly where he was going so the other two followed him, although Jack kept his eyes open. He still didn't trust everyone and he _really_ didn't trust the man walking beside him. Best to keep on his toes.

He was proud to see that Sam was doing the same thing. Good for her, he thought. She was one helluva soldier.

Soon they arrived at the lab – where a geeky looking scientist was waiting. Jack also noticed a recliner – much like the one Sam had had at the Alpha site. Oh yeah – this was going to be fun!

He settled himself comfortably – or as comfortably as he could with Simmons in the room. He sat there quietly as he was hooked up to monitors and was strapped into the chair.

"Is this necessary", he asked as his arms were strapped down.

"I'm sorry Sir", Carter answered with a smile. "We just don't want you to get hurt."

"Carter, _I'm_ not the one you have to worry about. I think you should be worrying about Simmons there. You know what we said about negative thoughts!"

Suddenly the Colonel looked nervous, although after a moment he relaxed. "I don't think so Colonel. Just keep telling yourself that it's not worth losing your career over."

"Hmmm", Jack seemed to consider. "Well, I was thinking it was time to start a new career anyway -"

"Colonel!" Carter laughed. "There we're almost ready. I just – have – to – _there_! Okay Sirs, he's all set. Now Colonel O'Neill, we're giving you a bit of a relaxant – just to calm you down. In a few minutes I'll then give you the box and ask you to think of something – nice. After that we'll have you try doing a few things."

"Carter you said the NID wouldn't be here. Simmons is NID."

"Uh" Carter turned her head and looked at Colonel Simmons.

"I'm not leaving", he said.

"Oh, I think you'd better Colonel", O'Neill said. "You wouldn't want me to be thinking you were a threat!"

"He's right Sir", Sam said. "It would be better if you went into the other room. We need to keep Colonel O'Neill calm and – uh –"

"Okay Major", the NID Colonel said angrily. "But I'll be watching on the monitor." He turned on his heels and strode from the room.

"See Carter, I'm feeling much more relaxed already."

"Yes Sir", she grinned. She could tell that the Colonel was feeling good and relaxed. It was just about time to try him with the box. "Okay Colonel, now's the time to start thinking of something nice. Just relax and think pleasant thoughts."

She watched him for a while and was a bit unnerved when he just stared at her. Finally, with a blink of his eyes, his face broke into a smirk – although he continued to stare. "Uh – are you thinking of something good Colonel."

"Oh yeah!" he said, his grin widening.

She could feel her face flush but continued to check the various monitors and straps – more as a way to avoid his stare than because she needed to. "Okay, it's time Sir." She walked over to the small table where she'd place the carryon bag, opened it and took out the box. She looked at it briefly and frowned – and then shook her head as if she'd imagined something. She turned and walked over to the Colonel – who seemed to be staring at her –

"_Sir_!" she said sharply.

He blinked again and had the grace to look apologetic. "Sorry Carter", he mumbled. "Must be the drugs."

She had to bit her lips to stop from grinning. "Here Sir", she reached her hand, presenting the box to him.

Jack looked at the box with a scowl – looking like the last thing he wanted to do in the world was touch it. He finally opened his hand – his arms were still strapped to the chair – and waited for Carter to give it to him.

Carter gently laid the box in the Colonel's hand and stepped back, waiting for it to open instantly – like it had done on all previous occasions. Nothing happened. She continued to watch – hoping it would snap open at any second.

"I don't know what's wrong Sir", she finally said when it still hadn't changed. "Are you doing anything differently this time?"

"Nope", he said "Well, except I'm only thinking good thoughts – but that didn't seem to matter before."

"Here", she reached down and gently removed the box. "Let's try it again." She waited a few seconds and placed the box in his hand. When nothing happened she frowned. "I can't figure this out. It should work."

The door to the room suddenly burst open and Simmons rushed in. "What's going on? What the hell are you playing at O'Neill?"

"Uh – nothing?" Jack looked in surprise at the other man. "As you can see Simmons, I'm just sitting here, all tied up with nowhere to go."

"Why isn't it working?" Simmons practically shouted.

"How should I know? I've never known how the damn thing worked in the first place – so why do you think I'd know what was wrong with it. That's for the scientists to figure out."

Simmons turned to Carter. "What's wrong? Why isn't it working?"

"I don't know either Sir. As Colonel O'Neill said, we've never been able to find out how it worked in the first place so I don't know why it's not opening."

"Maybe the battery died", Jack suggested.

"Battery?" Simmons looked at Carter. "Could that be it? Can we simply give it more power or something?"

Carter almost groaned in frustration. "Sir", she said slowly, as if explaining to a child. "We don't know if it even _has_ an energy source, let alone batteries. We have been unable to open it or examine it. It is impervious to X-Rays, CAT scans, MRI's – or any kind of test or probe we've thrown at it. All we know is that it could be used to shut down the Stargate – and that when Colonel O'Neill touched it it opened – at least it did until now. We know nothing else."

"It's out of wishes Carter", Jack grinned. "See, I told ya!"

"What the hell are you talking about O'Neill?" The NID Colonel was livid, sure that he was doing this intentionally.

"I figured that it was kind of like a magic lamp – you know, the kind the genie came out of. Well, it only had three wishes – otherwise the genie'd get bored. After that – pfft! I was pretty sure that the box would only be good for a few times and then – "

"Pfft!" Carter finished softly, trying to hide her smile.

"Exactly!" Jack beamed at his 2IC. "Isn't she amazing Simmons?" he said to the Colonel. "Smart – very smart."

"But not smart enough to figure out what could be the most important piece of technology we've ever found!"

"Well hey", Jack defended the woman next to him. "If the Asgaard -" He stopped suddenly – his face going blank.

"What about the Asgaard?" Simmons frowned. "What do they have to do with this?" 

"Nothing", Jack replied. "I just meant that if the Asgaard thought she was so smart she could help them with the replicators, then who are we to say any different!" Jack swallowed. He'd almost blown it.

Simmons immediately lost interest in the Asgaard or in how smart Carter was. He took the box out of Jack's hand and examined it carefully. While he was doing that, Jack looked up at his Second – only to see a strange expression run quickly over her face.

Her eyes suddenly got big and she looked at the box – and then at Jack. He kept a totally innocent expression on his face and stared back at her. Her mouth opened but then snapped shut as Jack gave an almost imperceptible shake of the head.

Sam took a quick breath – which caused Simmons to glance up at her. "What is it?" he asked.

"Nothing – just a pulled muscle. I moved too quickly."

He glared at her for another second and then resumed his examination of the box.

Sam stood stony faced, waiting for Simmons to finish. 'You sneaky devil, she said to herself, thinking about Colonel O'Neill. What did you do? She was sure, by this time, that there would be no use in continuing to test the box or to have the Colonel try it again. She knew it wouldn't work – that it probably never _had_ worked and was nothing but a plane box. She only hoped that the Colonel hadn't planted something inside which would be discovered when the scientists got to playing with it. She could just picture him putting a tiny Homer Simpson figure inside or something.

"We'll take a break and O'Neill can come back later and try again. In the meantime I want our scientists to look it over."

"That's a good idea Sir", Sam said, "I can hel -"

"No Major", he smiled. "You've done enough. I think my scientists can handle it just fine."

Sure they can you slimy weasel, she thought. "Of course Sir", she smiled (the most insincere smile on earth she was sure). "Just let me know if there's anything you need."

Once the Colonel was unhooked they were shown to a small lounge where they were able to grab a coffee and sit down. Sam wanted nothing so much as to ask the Colonel what he'd one – but knew she couldn't trust the walls here at Area 51.

"I hope we don't have to stay here too long Carter", Jack complained. "I'm missing hockey you know!"

"I'm sorry Sir", she smiled sympathetically. "I'm sure it'll be pretty quick – especially if the box doesn't open."

"Yeah well – I can't say as I'm upset that it didn't. That thing gives me the creeps. Someone could get hurt!"

"Do you think you blocked it from opening Colonel?" Sam wanted to look around, to make sure the NID guys were getting everything, although she was careful to look and sound as if she didn't' know they were being recorded – or watched.

"Not intentionally", he replied. "I mean – I was thinking good thoughts. I certainly wasn't trying to keep it from opening. I just wanted to get out of here quickly."

"Well, maybe you were right after all. Maybe its battery is dead."

"Really?" he said, sounding pleased. "You don't think it's a wish thing?" he then went on to ask.

"No Sir – I think it's more likely that it's the power source. Unfortunately I can't find out what that is. And we haven't yet found a way to open it."

"Oh." Jack stood there, looking at his Second. "So, how about cake?"

"Cake Sir?" she asked.

"Yup – cake. Nothin' else we can do right now Carter but wait, and if we've gotta wait, we might as well enjoy it!"

"Okay Sir", she grinned. "Cake it is."


	26. Geek Pizza

_**Thanks as always for the reviews. My apologies (also as always) - for not getting back to everyone. My life is crazy, crazy busy. I'm afraid this story is kind of losing steam so I think I will be bringing it to an end the next chapter. **_

_**Fluff followed by angst with a dash of silliness and UST. **_

They ended up staying another three days at Area 51 while the scientists tried to figure out how the device worked. In frustration they'd finally asked Carter to have a look at it. She had agreed calmly – Jack had smirked.

"See, I knew they couldn't do it without you Carter", he'd said.

"I'm afraid in this case Sir, I probably won't be able to do it either."

"Yeah, maybe, but you'll not do it with much more class than _they_ don't do it!"

She shook her head, trying to decipher the Colonel's thought processes but eventually gave up and simply returned his grin. "Yes Sir", she'd said.

Simmons – to no one's surprise – grew angrier as each day went by and they were no nearer to finding any answers. It didn't help that O'Neill tended to pop up anytime he came near Carter, and generally drove him to distraction with his sarcastic and witty remarks.

"Why the hell don't you go - ", he'd finally turned on the Air Force Colonel, practically yelling.

"- go?" O'Neill asked with raised brow. "I can only assume you were telling me to go and have a refreshing cup of coffee", he responded. "And I think that's a great idea. Hey Carter", he called to the woman who was furiously trying to see inside the box with her latest electro-bio-ultrasonic-radiographic-magnetic – doohickey – "you want something from the cafeteria?"

She glanced up. "Uh – a coffee would be good Sir, with two -"

"Two cream, no sugar – yeah, I know. How about something to eat?"

"That's okay, I'm not -"

"_Carter!_ What have I told you about not eating?"

"Okay _fine_" she replied. "Just get me some – toast or something."

"Toast_ – or something_? Carter, you've really got to pay attention to what you eat. Toast is not a well-balanced meal. I'll bring you some pie."

"Okay Colonel – pie is fine", she answered, completely distracted. She only looked up after she heard his footsteps fade. She wanted to grin but Simmons was still standing there, watching her. She bent her head, not really wanting to deal with the NID man, but then glanced up again as she heard him move closer.

"You don't expect to find anything, _do_ you Major?" he asked, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Well Sir", she answered, straightening up. "We've tried just about everything we can think of and haven't had any luck so, probably not."

"Oh, I don't think it's the instruments or the tests that are the problem. I think you don't really _want_ to find out how it works."

"That's ridiculous Sir", she frowned. "There's nothing I'd like more than to know how this things works. And anyway, your own scientists have tried everything as well, and they haven't had any luck either. Do you suspect _them_ of not wanting to find the truth?"

"You and I both know, Major, that they are not anyway near your league. I think you know very well what's wrong but you're trying to protect O'Neill. Or is he in on it as well? He is, isn't he", he exclaimed when Sam said nothing? "He knows how it works but he's done something to stop it."

"Colonel Simmons", she said, sounding tired, "why would Colonel O'Neill stop the box from working? If it really _did_ do anything he wanted, don't you think he'd make _sure_ it kept working, if he could? Especially with -." She stopped suddenly, seeming to think better of it.

"Especially with me around, is that what you were going to say?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I would never say something like that about a superior officer Sir", she replied calmly, turning back to the box. "If there's nothing else Colonel, I really have to get back to this. Who knows, maybe I'll find something."

"You do that Major", he sneered. He watched her for a second and then decided there was no point in sticking around. Somehow though, he'd have to figure out how these two were doing this. He was _positive_ they'd done something to the box – he just had to figure out –

"Ow!" He yelped as the door opened and hit him in the face. "What the -"

"Oops, sorry Simmons", Jack smiled apologetically, his hands full with a tray on which were two pieces of pie and two coffees. "Oh dear, I didn't get one for you. Did you want a piece of apple pie Colonel – it's very 'patriotic' you know?"

"I know what you're up to O'Neill, and you won't get away with it!" he pushed his way past and strode on down the hall.

O'Neill looked after him quizzically and then turned back to Sam. "Yeah, I'm afraid he's figured it out all right", he sighed. "I'm trying to take over the known universe through apple pie!" He walked over to Sam's table and set the tray down. "Okay Carter – time to take a break and have some of this!"

"If I eat it will it put me under your evil power Sir?" she grinned as she took a piece and a fork.

"Of course Carter. That was my plan all along. Once you've eaten it", he waggled his brow, "then you will have to do everything I say!"

She took a bite and grinned again. "Sounds like a plan Sir."

They ate the pie in companionable silence. Once she was finished Sam sighed and pushed the plate away. "I really was hungry."

"Of course you were Carter", Jack answered, as if there was never any doubt. "I know you better than you know yourself when it comes to your appetite." As he said it he was finishing off the crumbs on his plate and didn't notice her strange expression. After a second the silence made him look up. "What?" he asked, suddenly concerned.

"Uh – you're right, you do", she answered wonderingly.

"I do what Carter?" he frowned.

"You do know me" she smiled, "and my appetite better than me. You always seem to know when I need to eat, or sleep or play."

"Yeeaah?" he asked, looking at her strangely. "Is that a problem?"

"No Sir, not a problem, it's just -"

" – just?"

"Weird Colonel. It's just weird."

"No it isn't Carter", he said, finding one more crumb that he managed to capture with his fork. He looked at it intently and then stuck it in his mouth. "We've been working together for years and I just", he paused and looked at her, "_know_ you. You're the most competent, smart, brave and amazing person I've ever met – but sometimes you need someone to watch out for you." He stood up and gathered the dishes, put them on the tray, and headed towards the door. He then stopped and looked back at her. "And that's what I do." With that he left the room, leaving her staring at the space where he had been standing.

She smiled and nodded to herself. "Yeah Colonel – that's what you do – and I wouldn't have it any other way." She felt a pang as she thought about the man who'd just left. He meant everything to her – and there was nothing either of them could do about it. She bowed her head and began to work on the box, knowing that it was a useless endeavor but, for the Colonel's sake, she had to make her effort look real.

* * *

><p>"Ready to go Carter?" Jack stood with his gear, watching his 2IC as she made her way down the hall, her duffle bag in hand.<p>

"Yes Sir, all ready."

"Good, I'd really like to get out of here. There's only so much of Area 51 I can take. Too many geeks!"

"But I'm a geek Sir", she answered.

"Yeah, but you and Daniel are different Carter", he explained as she took her place beside him and began walking towards the exit.

"How are we different Colonel?" she asked, looking at him out of the corner of her eye, her lips upturned slightly.

He stopped and looked surprised. "You're _my _geeks", he replied, as if that explained everything, and then resumed walking.

She smiled to herself as she quickly followed his lead. The smile left her face however as Simmons came into view and stopped in front of them.

"So, you're leaving", he said, the lines between his eyes looking like they'd grown deeper over the last few days.

"Yup", O'Neill answered. "General Hammond ordered us home. Said we'd spent enough time on a 'wild goose chase'. I guess he spoke to the President who agreed there was no point – 'wasting valuable resources just sittin' around on our asses'." He smirked. "You see Simmons – Carter here is _much_ too valuable to waste and me – well, the General misses having me around."

Simmons nostrils flared. "You think you're so funny, don't you O'Neill?" he hissed.

"Who me? Funny? Do you think I'm funny Carter?" he asked the Major.

She bit her lip to keep from giggling. "Funny Sir? No, Sir, not right now Sir", she answered.

"See Simmons – not funny."

"I know what the two of you are doing and you'll be sorry. I've still got the box and I'm gonna make it work and _then_ we'll see who's laughing."

"Uh – okay", Jack answered. "I really hope you find what you're looking for Simmons, because frankly you need to lighten up. A laugh would do you good. And you can keep the box because frankly, I think it's more trouble than it's worth. Now if you'll get out of our way, Carter and I have a transport to catch." He motioned with his head and began to walk around Simmons.

"I'm not finished!" the other man ground out. He grabbed O'Neill's arm and swung him around.

Jack suddenly felt dizzy and would have fallen except that he grasped a hold of Simmons' arm and held tightly. He closed his eyes, feeling almost sick, when a scene suddenly appeared to him. It was the NID Colonel, standing and talking to Knightly. At first he couldn't tell anything more, but then he heard Simmons tell the Professor 'do what you have to to the woman – just make sure you don't kill O'Neill."

Jack's eyes popped open just as Simmons let go of him and stepped back. Jack dropped his arm at the same time. "It was you", he said.

"What?" Simmons frowned. "What are you talking about O'Neill? Are you on drugs or something?"

Jack shook his head to clear it. "Come on Carter, we've got to get going." He reached back and gently took her arm and pulled her along.

"I said I wasn't finished", Simmons went to again grab the other man when, without warning, he slipped on something invisible on the floor and went flying back, landing hard on his rear end. "What the hell!" he gasped.

"Gotta watch out Simmons", O'Neill told him. "You wouldn't want to hurt yourself." He motioned again to Carter. "Uh we'll see you around." Without waiting for the other man to pick himself up he strode out of the building, Sam practically running after him.

They got into the car that was to take them to the transport. Jack was looking distracted so Sam didn't say anything. She had a feeling that something had happened back there to which she wasn't privy. She knew enough to wait until they were away from here, and from Simmons' men, before saying anything.

They were in the plane, their seatbelts buckled and the plane taxiing for take-off before she spoke. "Uh Colonel, what was all that back there?"

"Back -?"

"Yeah, right before Simmons fell. What happened anyway?"

"I don't know. He slipped or something."

"I mean before that. You said 'it was you'. What does that mean?"

He took a deep breath and faced her, full on. "It means that Simmons was behind the kidnapping."

"What?" she asked, although she didn't sound surprised. "But he wasn't there – and he was hurt."

"I know – but not badly. He was hurt just enough to make it look real but not enough to do any serious damage. Look, who else knew all the details of our trip? Other than Walter and Hammond, Teal'c and Daniel, there wasn't anyone and I don't know about you, but I would never suspect any one of them!"

"Walter as mastermind spy?" she asked with a grin. "No, I guess not. So that means the leak had to be on Simmons' side. We've known that all along and he _has_ been looking into who it could have been."

"Major , who else at his end would have known? Since when have you known Simmons to inadvertently give away classified information", he asked.

"Well, okay – but he's not perfect. There's always a first time."

"I don't think so", he mused. "Don't you think it's much more likely that that snake masterminded the whole thing?"

"Well, it wouldn't surprise me. But if that's the case, wouldn't he be worried that Knightly would give him up?"

"Oh yeah – unless he has something on the guy. Either that or -"

"Or?" she asked.

"Or he's going to make sure he _doesn't_ wake up."

"Damn", she grimaced. "We'd better tell General Hammond."

"Yeah, because if we can't get Knightly or one of the others to testify, we'll have no proof." They arrived later that morning in Colorado Springs and decided to head directly to the SGC. Hammond was waiting for them in his office.

"So people", he asked when his two favorite officers walked in, "how did it go?"

"Well, it didn't Sir, not really", replied Jack. "The box doesn't work."

"So you said in your call." He turned to Carter. "And you couldn't find out what was wrong with it?"

"No Sir. I couldn't find anything about it at all. None of the tests, before or after it stopped working, revealed much of anything. All we really know is that it's Ancient – or at least it has Ancient writing on it, and that Colonel O'Neill could, for a time, operate it. Now, it does nothing."

"And you were unable to open it?" The General asked.

"No Sir and we even tried explosives."

Hammond raised his eyebrows at that. "That sounds rather dangerous."

"It was", she replied. "Colonel Simmons insisted – and his scientists carried out the experiment."

"And nothing happened?"

"Except a few of the scientists kind of blew themselves up", Jack grinned.

Hammond looked at him in shock. "Blew themselves -"

"None of them were seriously hurt Sir", Carter interjected. "Just a few scrapes and bruises."

"Okay - good", Hammond said. "Well, as I told Colonel O'Neill, the President feels that too much of your time has been wasted sitting in Nevada. He's authorized the NID and the folks there to keep seeing if they can get it to work. In the meantime I want the two of you to take a few days off – and then you're back on regular mission rotation."

"Thank you Sir", Jack smiled. "Uh just one thing General?"

"Yes?" Hammond looked up in surprise. "What is it?"

"Well Sir, Major Carter and I are convinced that Simmons was behind the whole kidnapping thing."

"How do you figure that?" the General asked, his brows meeting over his nose.

"Well Sir – it's just a – gut feeling", O'Neill shrugged. "I can't explain it – exactly – but it was kind of the way he spoke. Look, I know we can't prove anything, not yet at least, but I think we should take extra precautions around the Professor and the other kidnappers. If it _was _Simmons I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to get to them."

"I see. Well, I can put more security on them I suppose, although if it's only a hunch Jack there's not much more I can do. I certainly can't go accusing Simmons unless you have some proof."

"I know Sir. Hopefully one of his partners in crime will implicate him and we'll get him that way."

"So Sir, any plans for your time off?" Carter asked him as they walked away from Hammond's office.

"No, nothing in particular. I don't really have time to go to the cabin, so I'll probably just stay around and get some things done around the house. The yard needs some work."

"Yeah, me too – at least, not my yard – but my house. I've been meaning to get my spare room fixed up for a while now. I want to clear everything out, paint it and put up drapes and things. That way I'll have a nicer place for Cassie or my Dad when they come for a visit."

They walked for a few more seconds until Jack cleared his throat. "Would you like some help?" he finally asked.

Sam stopped, startled and not sure what to say. "Uh – I'm – that's okay Sir. I didn't mention it to try and hint that I needed help."

"I know Carter – still, it'll go a lot faster if someone helps you. I mean – if you'd like I could get Daniel and Teal'c and the four of us could get it done in no time. It'll be fun."

"You're sure Sir? I don't know how much fun painting and decorating will be."

"Hey, with you there – uh and Danny and Teal'c of course – it'll be great. Look, I'll bring the beer and you can order the pizza. After we're done we can get a movie or something!"

"Okay", she laughed. "You have a deal – although don't say I didn't warn you. Thank you Colonel. I really do appreciate the offer."

"Anytime Carter! Let's go find the guys and tell them what a treat we have in store for them."

The four of them spent the next couple of days working on Carter's house. Jack would never say it of course, but he had more fun painting and putting up pictures than he'd had in a long time. There was something so – domestic, so 'homey' about the whole thing and he realized how much he had missed this. He sighed and pounded in another nail.

"You okay Sir?" Sam's voice startled him and he hit his finger on the next stroke of the hammer.

"OW!" he dropped the tool and stuck his finger in his mouth. "Bloody hell!"

"I'm sorry Sir! Here, let me take a look", she said, trying to pull his hand out of his mouth.

"It's okay Carter", he finally said. "I'm not even bleeding."

"I really am sorry! I didn't mean to startle you."

"Hey – don't worry about it. It's not really renovation if you don't injure yourself at least once!"

"Really?" she grinned. "I hadn't heard that before."

"It's a guy thing."

"Oh, I see – a guy thing! Well, I came to see if you wanted to stop and have a drink. I have some soda or cold beer. There's also juic -"

"Carter, Carter, Carter – you _have_ to have beer after hitting your finger with a hammer."

"Oh, and why is that Sir?"

"It's another -"

" – guy thing?"

"Yeah." This time he grinned. "Where are Daniel and Teal'c?" he asked, looking around. He just realized he hadn't heard them for a while.

"They went out to pick up some snacks and pizza. Teal'c was hungry."

"He's always hungry", Jack answered, gratefully accepting the beer.

"Well, he's big", she explained.

"Yeah –big and strong and he loves pizza. Who would have thought that an alien warrior from a distant planet would develop a passion for pizza?"

"And ham and pineapple pizza at that!" she giggled.

"Hey, what is it about that anyway?" he asked, puzzled. "Ham and pineapple is _so_ not a guy's kind of pizza. Where in the world did he get to like it?"

There was a moment of silence and then –

"Daniel", they both said together.

"Yeah – it's definitely a geek pizza."

"It is not Colonel", Sam answered indignantly. "And anyway, there's no such thing as a 'geek pizza'."

"Yes there is", he told her, taking another swig of beer. "Anything fancy – like with 'goat cheese' or fresh basil or artichoke hearts or pesto – all geek pizzas. Real men eat pepperoni and mushrooms and green pepper – you know, _real_ pizza."

"Real pizza?" she laughed. "You're kidding Sir, right?" She suddenly frowned. "Wait a second – you love pesto and artichokes and you hate green pepper. Does that mean you're not a real man? Hey, Colonel Jack O'Neill is a _geek_!"

"I'll show you geek Carter", he said with a mock scowl. He placed his beer on the counter and slowly approached her. "No one – absolutely _no one_ calls me a geek and gets away with it!"

Just as he reached her she squealed and ran. "I'll have to tell Daniel", she panted as she worked to avoid the Colonel. "You're a closet _geek_!" she screamed as Jack caught her. Before she had a chance to resist – which she didn't have much hope of anyway as she was laughing so hard she couldn't fight back – the Colonel had picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder.

"Aaaak! What are you doing – _Sir_?" He took her into the living room and threw her gently on the couch. He then proceeded to reach down and tickle her.

She squirmed and squealed and tried to get away. He effortlessly grabbed her wrists and held them over her head so that she was at his complete mercy. It was only a few minutes later – after she'd cried 'uncle' that things changed.

Both of them stopped laughing and then simply spent a moment catching their breath. Jack still held her arms above her head and suddenly, without warning, his expression changed.

Sam noticed it – and could feel her breathing start to increase again. "Sir?" she said softly.

He continued to look at her – and couldn't help himself as he leaned closer. He stared into her blue, blue eyes – and then glanced down at those luscious –

"Pizza's here!" Daniel's voice called from the front door.

Jack quickly – although smoothly – straightened up and turned, as if nothing had happened. "Good", he said as his two friends walked into the room. "We're hungry."

Sam had also quickly stood up as soon as she had heard Daniel's voice. If she was looking a little rumpled – and a lot flushed – then no one commented, although Daniel did a quick double take.

"Uh – okay. Do you mind if I grab a drink Sam?" Daniel asked.

"No – no that's fine Daniel", she said. "Uh – why don't I get it for – Teal'c, you want one too?" She knew she was babbling but she really needed a few moments alone to get her equilibrium back.

"That would be good Major Carter", Teal'c told her. "A ginger ale would be fine."

After taking Daniel's order - and the Colonel's – "another beer Carter", she escaped to the kitchen where she leaned up against the counter. "Damn!" she muttered. What the hell had she been thinking?

"What's wrong with Sam?" Daniel looked at O'Neill, who was now sitting on the couch, picking the label off his empty beer bottle.

"Wrong?" he glanced up quickly and then back at his bottle. "Nothing's wrong. She's fine."

"Then why does she look like she was just wrestl – oh." Daniel stopped speaking and stared, his eyes just about popping out of his head.

Jack did look up then, a frown on his face. "Oh? Oh _what_ Daniel?" he asked. He then looked at Teal'c. "What's the matter with him?" he asked the Jaffa.

"Nothing O'Neill. I believe he is simply worried that Major Carter was looking - flushed."

"Huh? She's fine. What's gotten in to you guys anyway?"

"Teal'c's right Jack. Sam looked – kind of funny." His eyes narrowed. "What was going on?"

Jack briefly closed his eyes, aware that his friends had walked in at a really bad – or good, depending on your point of view – time. "Look, I know what you're thinking and you're totally wrong. Carter accused me of being a geek and I got back at her – okay, I tickled her – and that's when you came in, that's all. We were – she was, kind of embarrassed, that's all."

Neither of the two men looked as if they actually believed him, but they didn't say anything more so he quickly turned the subject. Inside he was cursing himself. What the _hell_ had he been thinking?

He went home later that evening, satisfied that they'd finished the room – but totally _unsatisfied_ with the way his life was going. Damn it but he wanted Carter in his life, not as his friend, not as an officer under his command, not even as a fellow soldier. No – he wanted _her_ – all of her – in his life forever. And there was no way it could be.

He looked up to the sky. "Thor buddy – if you're around I could use that box again – just this once. I have something I really, really want to wish for." He sighed and unlocked his door and entered his house – alone and lonely.

"


	27. It Goes On and On and On!

_**I really was going to bring this to an end - and then I got such lovely reviews I decided to bring it to a less rushed close. So a few more chapters before the epilogue. This chapter contains more team 'banter'. I know it doesn't exactly advance the plot - but I'm having fun with it. Please enjoy (and always R & R!).**_

Life returned to normal. He laughed to himself, thinking that it was ironic that 'normal' was travelling through the stars with an alien, an archaeologist and an astrophysicist - his 'A-team'. He choked. That was certainly a blast from the past – from the hokey 80's! All he needed was a cigar and he'd be set.

He played with the food on his plate as he thought about the last few weeks. The bad guys who had kidnapped them had regained consciousness, but none of them were talking. All of them were awaiting trial but the mastermind still hadn't been caught. Jack was more sure than ever that it was Simmons – he just couldn't prove it. If he told them _why_ he was sure they would either think he'd gone insane – or they'd lock him up to test his 'powers'. No, they'd either have to find actual proof or let it go.

As it was he was pretty sure that Simmons was still going mad trying to figure out the box. He allowed a small smirk to appear on his face. He'd spend a long time with that thing before it did anything. He wondered if Thor had given his 'replacement' box any kind of surprises. Probably not. Thor was a great guy but didn't exactly have a sense of humor. As it was, the last he'd heard the scientists still couldn't get the damn thing to open. He'd have to ask Thor, on his next visit, if he had some kind of special Asgaard 'super glue'.

At that moment, however, he had a thought. What if it didn't open? What if Thor had made the damn thing solid? He started to laugh – oh yeah, that's probably what he did. Eat _that_ Simmons, he thought to himself. I hope you spend the rest of your life trying to figure it out. At least it will keep you away from me.

"Good morning Sir", Sam Carter approached his table, tray in hand.

"Mornin' Carter. What's up this fine, sunny day?"

"Uh – I think it's raining out Sir", she said as she sat down.

"Yeah, but it's sunny in here!"

She looked up at the sickly florescent lights over head. "If you say so Sir", she grinned, and took a bite of banana loaf with chocolate chips in it.

"Whatcha got there Carter?" he asked, perusing her tray for any goodies he might like to snitch – prerogative of a commanding officer of course.

"Nothing Sir", she said, putting her hands over her tray and glaring at him. "And no, you may _not_ have any of my breakfast. Get your own – Sir!"

"But _Carter_", he whined. He then brightened. "But what if I _order_ you to give me some?"

"Then I'd tell you to take a flying leap – but very respectfully Sir", she answered. "You _cannot_ ask a soldier to give you her breakfast – unless there's a threat to national security." She took another bite of that really yummy looking loaf.

"And you don't think a deprived Jack O'Neill is a threat? I don't know Major. I've been known to do serious damage when I'm hungry."

"That is the truth O'Neill", Teal'c said as he sat down with his loaded tray.

Jack frowned but looked carefully at his Jaffa friend's breakfast, his eyes brightening when he saw the six pieces of crisp bacon. He reached his hand out – only to have it slapped by the bigger man.

"Hey!" he protested. "What was that for?"

"For trying to steal my bacon O'Neill", he answered calmly, taking a piece of the crispy meat and popping it into his mouth. "As Major Carter has said – you cannot order us to give you our breakfast."

"No – but you'd think you'd do it for a _friend_", he whined.

"Do what for a friend Jack?" Daniel sat down, a plate of eggs, hash browns and more of the bacon on his plate.

Jack just glared at the plate of food, not even bothering to ask.

"What's wrong?" Daniel turned a puzzled face to each of his teammates. "Did I do something?"

"No. O'Neill attempted to steal our breakfasts but we refused to let him. He is now – grumpy", Teal'c explained.

Daniel turned to Jack, his face crinkled with laughter. "Jack?" he asked. "Why don't you just go and get your own break – no wait, you've _had_ breakfast", he said, looking down at the empty, crumb-laden plate in front of the Colonel. "So why are you trying to steal theirs?"

"Theirs looks better than mine", he groused. "And anyway, it was more the _point_ of the whole thing." Just then a piece of banana bread appeared on his plate. He lifted his eyes to see a grinning Major Carter. He couldn't help but grin back. "Thank you Carter. You are my _favorite_!"

"Hey, no fair", Daniel replied. "I would have given you some of mine if you'd asked."

"Well okay then, you're my favorite too."

"I still would not have given you any of my breakfast O'Neill", Teal'c responded, continuing to enjoy his bacon.

Sam couldn't help but laugh out loud, along with Daniel. Jack just raised his eyebrows and muttered something about 'ungrateful Jaffa', but then stood and took his tray. "I'll see you all in ten minutes in the Briefing Room." Just as he was about to leave he pulled out a package of chocolate peanut butter cups, slowly unwrapped one and ate it. He knew they were Teal'c's absolute favorites and he watched as the big man's eyes narrowed. "Daniel, Sam – either of you want one?" he asked. When they both shook their heads he shrugged. "More for me I guess. See you all in a few minutes."

After he'd gone there was silence and then Sam giggled again. "I'm afraid you were hoist by your own petard Teal'c", she told him.

"I do not know that expression Major Carter", he told her, "but I would tend to agree."

When Teal'c went to take his usual seat at the Briefing table he looked down to see a small pile of peanut butter cups in front of him. He looked up to see a straight-faced O'Neill leaning back and staring at the ceiling and he couldn't help but smile. This was one of the reasons he considered this man such a good friend.

They had their briefing and by later that morning were off to another new planet. It was pretty routine as far as missions went. As Jack sat slowly walked around the site where Daniel and Sam were doing – whatever they did - he wondered if it was time to make some changes in his life. He knew he must be ungrateful but suddenly going through the gate was beginning to lose its excitement. He felt totally useless now, on most missions, just standing around with little or nothing to do.

"Sam, can you come over here and take a look at this?" Daniel was standing next to wall with etchings engraved on it. He was on the first floor of what appeared to be a two-story stone building, although the upper story had all but collapsed over time. Still there were remnants of the upper floor still visible although there were also a number of holes through which you could see the sky above.

"Be careful Daniel, Carter", Jack called. "That building doesn't look too sturdy."

"We will Sir", Carter called back. "We're almost done anyway." She made her way over to Daniel and he pointed out a symbol that was scratched into the wall. It appeared different than the others.

"Do you recognize this Sam?" Daniel didn't remember seeing anything like it and was pretty sure it wasn't part of the text. It looked more like a symbol than a word.

"Nirti", she answered, recognizing it instantly. "I remember seeing this the time that Nirta captured – oh, you weren't there."

He frowned at her trying to remember why he hadn't been –

"You were ascended", she explained with a small twist of her lips. "Jonas was with us."

"Oh yeah- I think I remember reading about that. Isn't that when the Russian kind of – uh –"

"Yeah, he dissolved. Anyway, I remember seeing this symbol on some of the equipment. I don't know what it -"

Her words were interrupted by the sound of a huge _**crack!**_

"**Major Carter! Daniel Jackson!" **Teal'c shouted a loud warning and pointed up.

The two teammates looked up to see the entire roof of the building begin to fall towards them. Both knew there wasn't time to get out, even though they turned to run.

Jack watched everything as if in slow motion. He too knew they wouldn't make it – there wasn't time. He stood – frozen. "No", he whispered, "No. Don't – God damn it. Don't die!"

The roof fell with a resounding roar and dust and debris covered everything. Jack couldn't see his friends, although knew they had been right underneath the main part of the building and couldn't have escaped the collapse. He briefly closed his eyes, not wanting to find what he knew he would find.

"O'Neill!" Teal'c shouted and moved forward, determined to help the other two.

Jack began to run over as well, finally released from his frozen terror. The air was still too full of dust and dirt to see anything, but they had to find them. If there was any hope of them surviving he knew they would have to get them out and back to the SGC immediately.

He began to cough as he drew nearer and frantically tried to see the spot where he knew they would be buried. He grabbed things in his path and threw them to the side. He saw Teal'c doing the same.

Without warning – almost as if a wind had blown through, the air cleared. What the hell? He stopped, again frozen, but this time in wonder. Standing in front of him, no more than four or five feet away, were Sam and Daniel. They stood, surrounded by tons of stone and wood, looking completely unharmed – at least physically. Both of them thought were very obviously in shock.

It was Sam who first came out of it. She shivered, and then began to cough and to shake. Jack rushed up to her and out of the corner of his eye he saw Teal'c do the same towards Daniel.

"Sam – are you okay?" Jack asked – reaching out and clasping her arms. She didn't respond although he could feel the tremors that were coursing through her body. He shook her gently. "Sam?"

"Yes", she gasped, "I'm fine, I'm fine."

"Teal'c", he called. "How's Daniel?"

"He appears to be fine as well O'Neill, although I fear he is in shock."

"Yeah, let's get them out of here and sitting down. They need something hot to drink as well." He turned back to Sam. "Come on Carter, I'm gonna take you over to the camp. You'll feel better in a minute."

He led her gently out of the now ruined building. She was still shaking – hell, so was he – but she seemed to be a little steadier than she had been. He led her to their camp and sat her down on the log they had been using as a seat.

"Just stay there Carter, I'm going to fix some soup."

"Soup Sir?" she grimaced slightly.

"Sorry, I don't have any whiskey on me and I don't think you need caffeine, so soup it is." He looked up as Teal'c arrived, with Daniel's arm around his shoulder. "He okay?" Jack asked.

"He is fine", Teal'c nodded. "He needs to rest but I believe he will be better shortly."

They were all quiet for the next few moments as they tried to relax and come to terms with what had happened. Jack was sure he'd have nightmares about this for a long time. The few seconds when he'd thought for sure they were going to be crushed to death kept replaying over and over again in his mind.

"What happened?" Daniel was the one to finally break the silence.

"The ceiling fell down", Jack answered, looking at the pot of soup that was heating.

"I know _that_ Jack. I mean why weren't we killed? There's no way Sam and I should have survived that."

"Luck of SG1?" he said flippantly.

"Jack! Come on. Something happened back there. It was as if – as if -"

" - there was some kind of force field over our heads", Sam continued. "Everything around us was crushed and yet there wasn't a mark on either of us. It's just not possible Colonel. _Something_ had to have happened."

"You're the science geeks", he replied. "You tell me." He looked up then and both Sam and Daniel were startled by how pale the Colonel looked.

"Are you okay Jack?" Daniel asked, suddenly worried.

"Me? I'm fine Daniel", he answered, pouring the soup into two mugs. He handed one to Sam and then the other to Daniel. "Drink up – it'll help."

"Don't tell me it's chicken soup Sir", Sam smiled, taking a sip. As much as she hadn't wanted any, now that she was drinking it she realized that it really was helping. She was cold – shaking – and knew it was reaction to the near death experience. The warm broth helped.

"Of course Major", he smiled. "Didn't I tell you that in a past life I was a Jewish Bubbe? Now be a good girl and drink up all your soup!"

"Yes Sir, but I think you should have some too", she finally said. "You look -"

"What?" he asked.

"Like you just about saw half of your team crushed to death", Daniel answered. "Sam's right – have some soup."

He sighed but knew they were both right. He ran his hand through his hair and noticed that he was still shaking. He put it down quickly and then spoke softly. "Yeah – I – thought for a moment I was going to have to go to all the trouble of finding replacements for you two, which would have been a hassle after all the time I spent breaking you in."

They all knew what he was doing – trying to joke his way out of a stressful situation. That was Jack for you. "Yeah – it would be hard", Daniel agreed. "And then – who would want to work with a grumpy old soldier and a Jaffa?"

"Who are you calling old?" Jack asked fiercely. "I'll have you know I'm fit and healthy and -"

"Jack", Daniel interrupted, sounding serious. "What happened?"

Jack sighed. "I don't know Daniel", he answered. "Your guess is as good as mine. All I know is that I stood there, watching as you were about to be buried under tons of rubble and there was nothing I could do about it. The next thing I know you're both standing there like statues – but totally alive statues. I figure that there must be something here on the planet that protected you."

"Sir?" Sam was looking startled, as if she had suddenly thought of something. "What were you thinking when you saw the ceiling collapse?"

"Oh, you know Carter – who was going to win the World Series. Am I out of milk? Things like that."

"_Colonel!_", she chided. "Seriously, this is important. What were you thinking?"

He sighed and stretched his legs out in front of him, finally starting to feel a bit more relaxed. "Okay – I was thinking there was no way you were going to make it out of there in time. I was sure you –" he stopped, unable to continue.

"Sure we were going to be killed?" Daniel asked gently.

"Yeah – that", he answered.

"Was there anything else Colonel? Please Sir, try to remember."

He shook his head – it all happened so fast.

"I heard you O'Neill", Teal'c suddenly spoke. "I heard you say 'don't die'."

Jack glanced up, startled. "I – yeah, I guess I said that. I mean – I knew I couldn't get to you guys in time so – "

"That's it Sir", Sam said. "It was you."

"What? Carter what are you talking about?"

Daniel looked at her quizzically as well. "Yeah Sam – what's this about?"

"When we were being held by the Professor – Knightly", she explained to Daniel and Teal'c, "The Colonel was able to save me when he wasn't even holding the box. He still had the power, even though it was no longer in his hand. I think the same thing happened here."

"You're crazy Carter", Jack said, flustered. "That was just some – some residual power from the box. This time – it had to be something else. I haven't held the box in weeks."

"Didn't you hold it when you were at Area 51?" Daniel asked. "That's only a week ago."

"Uh – okay – yeah, I guess – but it was mostly Carter and those ge – ur other scientists who fiddled with it."

"But you still touched it, right?" Daniel insisted.

"Yeah – but it didn't work. It's broken or out of batteries or something."

"Sir, that wasn't the real box, was it?" Sam finally asked gently. "What happened to the real one?"

"What? Who says that wasn't the real one Carter?" he asked, although he suddenly became interested in the last bit of soup in his mug.

"I spent a lot of time examining it Sir. I could tell right away that it wasn't the same one. The _feel_ was off."

"The _feel?"_

"Yes, don't ask me to explain it – it weighed the same, looked the same, everything – but I knew it wasn't the same one you'd touched before. Someone had exchanged it."

His three teammates all looked at him expectantly. He finally sighed. "Okay, yeah. Thor took the real one with him. He's going to get his Asgaard buddies to examine it."

"Really?" Sam said. "Do you think they'll share the information with me?"

Jack almost smiled, familiar with that sound in Carter's voice. "Sorry Major but I doubt if they'll be able to tell you much of anything, not unless they get real lucky. Thor tells me the Asgaard have never been able to figure out how it works and they've tried for thousands of years."

"They can't – but Sir, why not?"

"I don't know Carter! It's an Ancient device and Thor said it was complicated. Oh, they know what it does – did – but not how it worked or how to turn it off. Anyway, I figured it would be safer in their hands. He made a duplicate and exchanged it before it went to Area 51."

"Wow!" Daniel grinned. "So Simmons has been looking at a fake all this time?"

"Yup", Jack grinned back. "Personally I think it's not even hollow. I think he has nothing more than a black cube that does – well - nothing!"

Sam started laughing. "Oh my God – and they've tried everything to open it. I couldn't figure out how it could be so hard either. No wonder everyone was going crazy. God Sir, you're something else!"

He just grinned at her, pleased that he had made her laugh. "So there – it couldn't have been me doing – that", he waved at the ruins. "Like I said, it had to be something on the planet."

"What did Thor say O'Neill?" Teal'c finally spoke up after having sat quietly through the conversation.

"Say?"

"Yes, about the box. You informed us that the Asgaard know what the box was used for. I assume he shared that information with you?"

"Well – "

"Jack!" Daniel warned.

"Okay – yeah. He told me it's basically a toy", he informed them.

"What? A toy Sir? What kind of toy?"

He knew he wasn't going to get out of explaining the whole thing to his team. He should have known that they'd ferret the information out of him eventually. He didn't want to think about the other part of it – the 'saving his team' part. No – that had to have been the planet. It was _not_ his so called powers.

He proceeded to tell his friends the information that Thor had shared with him – minus the part about him having his own powers. He should have known, however, that Sam would realize something was missing.

"So this box, this toy", she asked, "it was used to make the Ancient children understand that they had to be careful how they used their powers, that they could hurt others or themselves if they weren't careful. Is that right?"

"Yeah", he said carefully, worried about where she was going with this.

"So – did the box _confer_ powers on the children or did they have them already?"

"How do I know Carter", he groused. "All I know is that the box was a way to make them consider what they were doing."

"No, Sam's right Jack. The Ancients had some powers – we know that, although we don't know the extent of them. The question is whether those powers were inherited – whether they were 'genetic', or whether they were somehow given to the people at some point in their lives."

"If they were afraid the children would misuse their powers, it sounds like they must have been born with them", Sam continued. "That would make their powers – genetic – or _in their genes_", she looked at the Colonel, who was shifting uncomfortably on the log. "Sir – what if you have those powers? What if the box just – amplifies them, like I said before. But it's not an amplifier for your thoughts – but for your inherent powers. If that's the case, then the Ancients probably didn't need it as they got older. It was only the children, who didn't yet know how to use them -"

"Or maybe even that they _had_ them", interjected Daniel.

"Yes", Carter agreed. "And maybe once they started using their powers they needed to rely less and less on the box."

"I think that could be it Sam", Daniel almost crowed in delight. The two science geeks were so excited they missed the look on Jack's face.

"Okay you two", he interrupted. "This is all sounding great – _except it's pure fantasy_. There is no 'power' – or maybe there was but it died out a long, long time ago with the Ancients. The box allowed the person holding it – in this case me – the opportunity to have a few wishes or thoughts become true. Now it doesn't work so we'll never be able to test any of these lovely theories. I can assure you _I do not have any powers_!"

Daniel and Sam continued to look skeptical, even as Jack instructed them to break camp. "I think we've had enough of this planet", he said. "I'd like to get home and take a hot shower, drink a cold beer, and watch useless television."

"That actually sounds rather nice Jack", Daniel agreed.

"Really?" Jack looked at him in surprise. Daniel usually wanted to do something more – stimulating. "Well in that case, why don't you come over?" He turned to the others. "That goes for all of you – why don't you come over and we'll watch some TV and I'll order food."

They arrived back home – in better shape than after the accident – although all of them were more than usually exhausted. They had a short debrief with the General – who looked like he wanted to explore, in greater detail, what had happened to save Daniel and Sam. "You're sure there was nothing there to bring back? There must have been something that saved them", he said.

"I would recommend sending SG3 back to the planet Sir", Jack said, sounding terribly serious. "They can see if there's anything around. I felt I should get everyone home after what had happened."

"Good idea Jack. Dr. Jackson, Major Carter, I'd like you both to go get checked out right now just to make sure everything's okay. I'll send another team back in a couple of days and I'll let you know when the next briefing is so you can tell them all you can about the planet."

They'd agreed, and then headed out to Jack's house for the evening. Teal'c had hitched a ride with him while Sam and Daniel went together, in her car.

"It was you, was it not O'Neill", Teal'c said after a few moments of silence.

Jack's head whipped around so fast he was in danger of losing it. "What?" he asked, surprised and shocked.

"I know what you told Daniel Jackson and Major Carter – but I witnessed what happened. When you spoke you saved their lives. It _was_ you O'Neill. You do have the power of the Ancients."

"Oh Crap!"

a


	28. False Pretences

_**I'm back from three days on a beautiful island off the Pacific Northwest coast. I got to see seals and a pod of Orca whales! I didn't get any time to write but here is one chapter from this evening. I hope you enjoy.**_

"But I don't understand why you won't at least _consider_ the possibility that it was you Sir", Sam was seated across from him in the Commissary eating breakfast. It was early and there was no one else there yet, except for the person working behind the counter - who wasn't paying them any attention.

"Because Carter, I _don't have any special powers_. I mean, it's not that I wouldn't have _wanted_ to save you guys, but I didn't do it. It was something on that planet."

"Okay, so say it was. How come we couldn't find anything? SG3, 5 and 6 all went back and none of them found a thing. We even sent Drs. Lee and Rasmussen and _they_ didn't find anything."

"So, they probably didn't know what to look for." When she looked skeptical he rolled his eyes. "I don't know Carter. Maybe it just happens when someone is in danger or something. Or who knows, maybe it _was_ just luck. It could have been that the two of you were standing in the one spot that escaped the – "

" -the tons of rocks and wood that came crashing down _everywhere_?", she asked, her brows raised.

"Look – I just know I don't have powers."

"But Sir, the box -"

"Uh uh uh Carter", he shook his finger at her. "_No powers_!"

"Alright fine Colonel", she sighed. "I guess we'll chock up what happened to another 'unknown alien phenomenon'", she said. "You might just want to -"

"- forget the whole thing", he interrupted. "I want to finish today's mission, go home, shower, eat and turn the stereo on and listen to some classical music. I do _not_ want to think about alien anything."

She laughed. "Okay Sir. I don't blame you – I must admit that sounds rather nice."

He was within half a second of inviting her over when he stopped himself. No, it would not be appropriate even though it sounded wonderful. "You like classical music Major?" he asked. As much as he knew about her, there were still some things that were still unknown. The fact that he _wanted_ to know them was something he'd been thinking about much too much lately.

"Yeah", she answered. "I don't go to live concerts – at least I haven't for years – but I've always liked listening. I like other kinds of music too, but after a stressful mission I find it particularly relaxing."

"Jack.", a very bleary eyed Daniel made his way to their table, carrying a full cup of steaming coffee. He plunked himself down heavily and breathed in the aroma from his cup. "Oh yeah", he sighed. "Who was the one who called the mission for this early?" he asked.

"Uh, that would be me", O'Neill replied, a slight grin on his face. There was no one who hated getting up in the morning quite like their resident archaeologist. "Because of the time difference on P-whatever, we have to get going early or we'll miss most of their daylight."

"Oh. Well we should have gone last night then", he replied. "Mornin' Sam", he said, as if just realizing she was seated at the table as well. "You here already?"

"Yes Daniel", she grinned. "I've been here for over an hour."

Daniel muttered something into his coffee cup.

"What was that Jackson?" Jack asked.

"I _said_ you military types are insane", he repeated. "You know, if you all slept more there'd probably be less wars in the world."

Jack grinned. "You think sleeping in would result in less armed conflicts?"

"Sure it would. A good night's sleep, a rich cup of coffee and everything looks much better. People are happier when they're well-rested you know."

"Okay, we'll tell the powers that be to let everyone sleep longer as a way to bring world peace." Jack stood up. "In the meantime Daniel, we have a briefing in five minutes. You'd better hurry up or you're going to be late – and you know don't want to tick off your team leader. He can be a real pain when he's irritated."

Jack, followed closely by Carter, was almost out of the Commissary before Daniel put up his head. "But _you're_ my team leader Jack."

"Exactly Daniel!" Jack said as he left the room.

It was another mundane mission to a boring planet, and this time there were no near-death experiences for himself or any of his teammates. "Okay campers, time to go home. It's getting late and we don't want our Jaffa to start getting fussy!"

"I do not get fussy O'Neill", Teal'c said calmly. "I am more than happy to stay longer if there is need."

"Really?" Jack asked, sounding surprised. "Well, in that case. _Daniel, Carter_", he called. "Teal'c says he's happy to stay so you can keep looking for – stuff!"

Both his science twins turned to him in dismay. He wanted to grin. They were as bored and as anxious to get home as he was. He then turned to Teal'c and almost laughed when he saw the big man's pained expression. Gotcha Teal'c, he thought. "So Teal'c, I'll head back and tell General Hammond that you guys are staying for a while. How much time do you think? Another day?"

"I believe that Daniel Jackson and Major Carter do not see the need to remain O'Neill. Although I would be pleased to stay with them, I believe it would be more useful for us to return to earth and prepare for another, more fruitful mission."

"Hah! You're bored Teal'c, admit it!"

Teal'c looked at him without expression. "Indeed O'Neill. I believe the expression is I am 'bored to death."

"Thought so! _Daniel, Carter_", he called again. "Pack up, we're going home."

Both of them looked relieved and immediately began to pack their equipment. They did it faster than usual as if afraid that the Colonel would change his mind.

"You're a fraud Teal'c, you know that!"

"I am not O'Neill. If anyone is a fraud, I believe it to be you."

"What? What are you saying?" O'Neill looked at him in surprise.

"That you are refusing to admit to your abilities and that it was you who saved Daniel Jackson and Major Carter. I believe you do yourself a disservice."

Jack went to deny it again, but could tell, from Teal'c's expression, that the Jaffa wasn't buying it. He sighed and rubbed his hands through his hair. "Look Teal'c – I don't know okay? I don't know what happened. I certainly didn't do anything – at least not consciously. I do know that if it's true – I can't let anyone know or my life would be hell. They'd never let me go. I also don't _want _special powers. I wouldn't even know what to do with them. So – maybe – I had something to do with it, but I'd really rather just forget about it, okay?"

Teal'c stared at him for a moment and then bowed his head in acknowledgement. "I understand and I will not say anymore. I just do not want to see you hurt O'Neill. I believe that you need to acknowledge your abilities and learn how to use them wisely, otherwise you may find yourself in – difficulties."

Jack sighed again and nodded. "I – hear ya Teal'c. I'll see, okay? Just please don't say anything to Daniel or Carter. I'd rather keep this between the two of us."

"I shall not, although I believe they are already aware of the situation."

"I haven't fooled them huh?" Jack said, looking somewhat sheepish.

"No, you have not."

That evening, as Jack sat and listened to his music, he thought about what Teal'c had said. He knew he had to stop avoiding the issue. He himself wasn't convinced that he'd done anything but, on the off chance he did have some kind of power, he really did need to figure it out. What he really wanted was to figure out how _not_ to use them. Although, even as he thought that he remembered that moment when he was sure he'd lost Daniel and Sam and knew that if he did have power, he'd always use it to protect those he cared about.

Just then the phone rang and he looked up, startled. Who would be calling him at this time? He checked his watch and saw that it was almost 11:00.

It turned out to be Walter asking him to go into the SGC. "General Hammond needs to see you Sir", he told the Colonel.

"I'll be right in Walter", he told him. "Uh, my team?"

"I'm contacting them as well Sir. They will all be there."

When he arrived Teal'c and Carter were already in the briefing room. Daniel arrived a couple of minutes later. None of them knew what it was about but things seemed relatively quiet in the SGC so they hoped it wasn't any kind of imminent crisis. Just then the General walked into the room.

"Thank you for coming at such short notice and at such a late hour, SG1", he said. "The reason I had you come in was because we just received a message from Thor."

"What does the little guy want Sir", Jack asked, surprised. It hadn't been that long ago since he'd seen the Asgaard and asked him to take the stupid box.

"He didn't say Colonel. All he _did_ say was that he was requesting your help."

"My -?"

"SG1", the General clarified. "He asked for all of you. He should be here shortly and he asked if he could -"

Just then four beams of light appeared and the team disappeared, one by one.

" – beam you up", the General finished, speaking to an empty room. He sighed and stood up. "Walter", he called. "I'm going to go lie down. Call me if you hear anything."

"Thor, buddy!" Jack said as soon as he arrived on the Asgaard ship. Almost immediately his teammates appeared beside him. "Good, we're all here. So, what was it you wanted with us this – uh - evening?"

"Hello O'Neill, Dr. Jackson, Major Carter, Teal'c", the Asgaard acknowledged each of them formally. "Welcome and thank you for coming."

"Hey, no problemo little buddy. Uh – but why _did_ we come?" O'Neill said, bouncing slightly on his feet.

"Because I transported you to my ship", Thor explained.

"I get that Thor. I mean – why did you transport us? What did you need us for?"

"I see. I asked General Hammond if it would be acceptable for SG1 to help us. The replicators are beginning to cause problems again and my people believe that you have been more successful in dealing with them than the Asgaard so I was asked by the High Council to enlist your aid."

"I see", O'Neill said, sounding pleased. He continued to rock back and forth on his feet. "So, you guys need _our_ help to solve your little problem eh? I guess we're not so 'young' after all."

Thor turned to him and blinked. "The Council believes that your simplistic solutions may be more effective. They believe the replicators are not able to deal with less sophisticated resistance than has been presented by the Asgaard."

Jack frowned, not sure if they'd been complimented or insulted. "Oh", he said. "So – you guys need us to save your butts!"

"Yes O'Neill, we do."

"Thought so", the Colonel grinned. "So Carter – do your stuff!"

"Uh, I don't really know what they want me to do yet Sir", she responded.

"Hey that never stopped you in the past", he said proudly. He turned to Thor. "Carter here can pull solutions out of her – uh – really smart head."

"Indeed O'Neill. Samantha Carter is much respected by the Asgaard as is Daniel Jackson. Our people recognize that they are very intelligent humans."

"Yes!" Jack answered. "They're brilliant Thor. And hey, what about Teal'c?"

"We also have a great deal of respect for him. He is truly a leader among his people and has shown both courage and wisdom in his fight to bring freedom to the Jaffa nation."

"Yup, that's Teal'c all right." Jack stood looking at Thor expectantly.

"What is it O'Neill?" the alien asked. The rest of SG1 were grinning as they watched the interplay between the Colonel and the Asgaard commander.

"Uh – didn't you forget something – ur – someone?" Jack hinted.

Thor looked puzzled for a moment and then blinked again. "Oh, you mean yourself? Surely you know O'Neill that my people regard you as a very special human being?"

"Really?" Jack said proudly. "Special eh?" He glanced at his friends with a knowing look and then turned back to Thor. "So – I'm 'special'", he asked again.

"Indeed you are O'Neill", Thor responded. "Now, may I explain our problem and determine whether or not you are able to help us?"

"Sure", Jack answered. "I'm happy to do what I can."

Daniel almost choked at Thor's blink. He couldn't believe how expressive it was. "Uh – I think he probably needs Sam to help figure it out – at least for now Jack."

"I know that Daniel", Jack said. "However you never know when my _specialness_ will be needed."

This time Sam grinned. "I'm sure we'll need it soon Sir. So Thor – do you want to explain to me what's happening and I'll see what I can do?"

"Yes, thank you Major Carter. Dr. Jackson, you may also be of some assistance. O'Neill, Teal'c, you are welcome to join us or you may prefer to rest until your expertise is required. We have provided a place where you can lie down."

"Yeah – well – I think that sounds good. I'll just rest up so I'm ready when I'm needed. How about you Teal'c?"

"I will as well O'Neill." The two men left with the Asgaard to go do the room with the human and Jaffa sized cots.

When Thor returned he explained to the other two the problem and began to show them what had been done so far. After a couple of hours Sam stood up, a puzzled look on her face.

"Uh Thor, I don't mean to look stupid here but – it looks like you guys have things pretty well under control. I don't know if there's much more we can do that you haven't already thought of."

Daniel too was looking skeptical. Although he didn't understand some of the technical stuff, it didn't appear to him as if there was a pressing need for SG1's help. He was surprised, after Sam spoke, to see what he could only describe as a guilty look on the Asgaard commander's face.

"I must apologize Dr. Jackson, Major Carter, for bringing you here under somewhat false pretences."

"So there really isn't a replicator problem?" Daniel said.

"Oh yes, the replicators continue to be a problem and if you have any new insights it would be greatly appreciated. However, that is not the main reason I requested your presence."

There was a pause while the two humans looked expectantly at the commander. "And the real reason?"

"Was because of O'Neill", Thor explained.

"Jack? Why, what did he do?" Daniel wanted to know. "Should he be here?"

"It is not what he has done Daniel Jackson, it is what he may do."

"May – what do you mean Thor?" Sam asked, now feeling worried.

"We believe that he has the power of the Ancients and that they have now been activated by his use of the Ensenor." When the other two looked blank he explained. "The black box."

"Oh. I _knew_ it", exclaimed Sam. "I knew it was him." She turned to Daniel. "He _was_ the one to save us when the roof collapsed." She then explained to Thor what had happened.

"Yes, that sounds very likely", he agreed. "When I took the Ensenor to some of the scientists on Othalla they were very excited. That excitement turned to worry, however, when they found out that O'Neill had already used it."

"Worried? Why?" Daniel wanted to know.

"Because they understand the power he wields and yet he does not yet recognize it. He also has had no training in how to use it wisely. He could be a danger to himself or others if he does not learn to control his powers."

Sam shook her head. "But he won't even admit that he _has _them, so how are you possibly going to get him to take any kind of training?"

"It is for that reason that I have brought you all here. The High Council thought it would be best for him to take instruction away from earth, to limit the potential danger. They also feel it is imperative that he begun to understand the responsibility he now holds."

Daniel stood up quickly and paced once around the room. "You mean you want Jack to take on even _more_ responsibiity? Don't you think he already has enough? My god, the man's already saved the planet and the galaxy how many times? I can understand why he doesn't want to admit to any powers, not when they'll probably screw up his life even more."

"We do not want to – 'screw up his life', as you put it Dr. Jackson. Once he knows how to control that which he has he can choose to use it or not. We will certainly not tell anyone on earth, or elsewhere for that matter, about his ability. Also, we do not know what abilities he may have. It is possible that they are minimal."

"Yeah, with Jacks' luck there won't be anything minimal about them!" Daniel looked worried, as did Sam, but for a slightly different reason. She could just imagine him refusing to do anything and then having something bad happen.

"Major Carter, I felt that perhaps you would have the best chance of convincing O'Neill. He respects your opinion and I believe will listen to you."

"I don't know Thor. I've already tried to talk with him about it and he absolutely refuses to listen or admit to anything."

"Who refuses to listen?" O'Neill said from the doorway. Behind him was Teal'c, his eyebrow raised in inquiry.

"Sir!" Sam swung around, looking guilty.

Jack looked over at Daniel and narrowed his eyes. The younger man wouldn't look at him. Something was definitely fishy. "Okay, what's going on here?"

"Nothing Jack", Daniel quickly jumped in. "We were just talking about ur –"

"We were discussing your ancient powers O'Neill", Thor said calmly.

Jack heard the soft 'crap' from Daniel and Sam suddenly seemed interested in a spot on her sleeve. "My _powers_? What the hell are you talking about? I've _told you I don't have any powers!_ And what the hell does this have to do with the replicators anyway?"

There was silence in the room and Jack looked from one to the other of the people there. It was finally Thor who spoke.

"I apologize O'Neill, you were brought here under somewhat false circumstances. The High Council believes it is important that you understand your powers and learn to use them. They thought if we brought your team it might be easier to convince you."

Jack took a slow breath and spoke in a very quiet voice. "Are you telling me that this was a lie? That we're not here to help you with the replicators? That this was about these mythical powers I'm supposed to have?"

There was silence again and finally Thor nodded. "Yes, I am sorry but that is the case. Please do not be angry at your teammates. They were as unaware as you about the real purpose of your visit."

Jack's nostrils flared and both Sam and Daniel winced. Teal'c kept a close eye on his leader but didn't say anything.

"Turn the ship around and take us back to earth", he ground out slowly. "And no", he held up his hand, "I don't want to hear any more about this _ever_. I want you to take me home." He swung around and headed for the door.

Thor suddenly looked down at the panel in front of him and began moving crystals around furiously. "O'Neill", he called. "I am sorry, but that will be impossible."

Jack swung around angrily. "And why it that? You're gonna _make_ me go and do what? I'm sorry but you can go to hell, all of you."

"And we will O'Neill, without your help. We are presently surrounded by replicator ships and I am afraid I am unable to return to earth or to Othalla."


	29. For Now

_**Thank you all for your kind reviews! I'm trying to keep updating every evening. I will try and alternate this with Mariscola. **_

"Oh right! The replicators just _happened _to pop up right at this moment and now we can't go back to earth. How convenient! Well, I'm not buying it. I'm going back to my room and lie down. Wake me when we get home." Jack turned and strode angrily from the bridge.

"That went well", Daniel muttered. He turned to Thor, who was anxiously doing something with the controls. "He's gone now Thor, you can relax."

"I cannot Dr. Jackson. The replicators will be upon us any second. I am attempting to put up a shield around my ship but I am afraid it will not hold them for long."

"What? Are you telling me there really _are_ replicators?" Daniel asked, shocked.

"Yes Dr. Jackson. This is not a ploy to convince O'Neill." He fiddled with some more of the crystals. "Major Carter, could I ask you to go to that terminal and help with the shields. They are figuring out the modulation faster than I can change it. We need to do it more quickly and it will be better with the two of us."

Sam quickly headed over to the second terminal and tried to remember what Thor had taught her about Asgaard controls the last time she was on one of their ships. She quickly grabbed a crystal and started to manipulate it.

"Is there anything we can do Commander?" Teal'c asked.

"Just watch in case any replicators get through and on to the ship. I would suggest you each take a weapon." He touched a crystal and four automatic weapons appeared.

"Hey – where did you get these?" Daniel wanted to know as he picked two up. He placed one by Sam and took the other for himself.

"I have replicated your weapons so you will feel comfortable using them", Thor told him. "Now please, I must concentrate."

Teal'c nodded and gestured to Daniel Jackson. The two men quickly left the bridge and began to patrol the ship in case any of the metallic enemy made it on to Thor's ship.

Jack was seething. He knew, deep down, that Thor and his teammates had his best interests at heart but there was nothing he hated more than being manipulated. "Why couldn't they have just _asked_!" he said to himself. He didn't bother to remember the fact that they had all tried and he had ignored them.

He lay on the cot, his arms behind his bed, and fumed. He'd _trusted_ Thor but it seemed the little guy was as bad as all the other aliens out there; sneaky, conniving, dishonest, - what the hell? He sat up suddenly, hearing a sound that was eerily familiar.

"No, there's no way", he said out loud. "It's just another trick." He collapsed back onto the bed and tried to get his mind off that sound. It couldn't be real – holy hell! A hole was forming in the bulkhead over his bunk.

He launched himself out of the cot and raced to the door. He made it through and shut it behind him, just as he saw the replicator drop where his head had been, moments before.

"Here O'Neill!" Teal'c tossed him a weapon. "I believe the replicators have breached the hull of the ship."

Another hole began to form and the sound of gunfire erupted. The three men continued to fire but began to retreat as more and more of the vicious alien 'bugs' came through the walls and headed towards them.

"There are too many of them", Jack shouted. "RUN!" All three of them turned and ran towards the control room.

Jack pressed the panel which opened the door and waited until Teal'c and Daniel were inside before shutting it behind them. "They're coming Thor!" he called to the alien. "I suggest you do something."

"I am attempting to do something O'Neill, as is Major Carter. Unfortunately it does not seem to be working."

"Carter?" he called.

"I'm trying Sir, but nothing we do seems to stop them. They're almost at the door to the control room and I estimate will be through in approximately three minutes."

Just then they could all hear the scrambling of metal feet on the metal deck. It was a sound that Jack still heard in his nightmares and one which gave him shivers. "Any ideas?"

"Can we beam out of here Thor?" Daniel shouted.

"I am afraid not Dr. Jackson. We are not near enough to a planet and we cannot take the escape pods as the replicators could too easily come with them. I am afraid we are about out of options."

"Another minute and they'll be through Sir", Carter yelled. Jack stood with his weapon pointed toward the sounds which were growing louder. Teal'c and Daniel were standing beside him.

"Okay everyone, get ready. We're about to have -"

"O'Neill – you must do something", Thor cried. "You are the only way we will survive."

"There's nothing I _can_ do", he shouted, "other than shoot the little buggers."

"There is O'Neill. You must draw on your powers and destroy them."

"Oh for cryin' out loud. I. DON'T. HAVE. ANY. POWERS."

"Sir, just try. We have nothing to – here they come!"

Again gunfire erupted as one by one the bugs came in through a hole in the wall. They could see where other replicators were attempting to punch through and they knew that in a few brief moments they'd be swarmed. Death would follow soon afterward.

"Aaagh!" Daniel screamed as a replicator landed on his arm. Teal'c managed to knock it off with his weapon and then shoot it. "Thanks!" Daniel cried.

"Anytime Daniel Jackson", Teal'c shouted in reply.

It was soon obvious that they weren't going to hold on much longer. Jack looked around and couldn't help but notice how amazing his team was. They were the bravest people he knew. He also knew they didn't deserve to die.

"Ah hell", he said softly. He stopped firing and dropped his gun. He then closed his eyes. "If this doesn't work", he muttered, "I'm following all of you into the afterlife and I'm gonna kick your asses!"

He stood there, as mayhem and chaos surrounded him. "Okay little buggies – _scat_! Go away, all of you. I am a very big fly swatter and I'm squishing you all and you're all dead – every single last one of you guys. You will never, ever come back and hurt anyone ever again. You are dead bugs – and you're going splat on the windshield of the universe." He continued to think of anything he could to get rid of the replicators. He was concentrating so hard he didn't notice the sudden silence.

"Uh Jack", Daniel's voice finally penetrated his concentration.

"Yeah?" he asked, still keeping his eyes closed.

"You can open your eyes now", his friend said.

Jack wasn't sure he wanted to. Either they were all dead, which would not be a good outcome, or he'd managed to kill the bugs – which would also not be good – at least as far as he was concerned. Well – it was better than being dead, but it meant he _did_ have powers, which he didn't want. Or, he didn't want them after this, although if he _did _have them now that was actually a good thing because it meant he had saved his friends. Of course –

"JACK!"

"What?" he opened his eyes and glared at Daniel. "What do you want?"

"Uh – just to tell you that the replicators are gone. You did it."

"Did it?" he looked around and frowned. Daniel was right, the replicators were all gone. Crap – he _did_ have - . No, wait. This was just too convenient. How did he know that Thor didn't contrive the whole thing to make him _think_ that he had powers, when in actual fact it had been a fake attack? That's it, he decided. This wasn't real.

"Yeah, sure I did", he said sarcastically. "I just _dreamed _them away."

"Well, I don't know _how _you did it Sir, but you did get rid of them. Not only aren't there any on Thor's ship, there is no evidence of _their_ ships. They are all gone."

"Right Carter – I just 'poofed' them away. He looked around in disgust at his teammates and at Thor. "This was all just a little too convenient", he said. "You had this planned all along, didn't you? You all want me to _think_ I did this, when in fact it was all a hologram or something. Well, I'm not buying it!" He dropped his weapon and headed to the door. "Now can we go home? I'm hungry and there's a hockey game on tonight that I don't want to miss."

It was only after he'd been gone a couple of minutes that those left turned to each other and began to speak.

"He didn't believe it was real", Daniel said in surprise. "I mean it _was_ real, wasn't it Thor?"

"Yes, indeed it was. It _was_ a coincidence but those were actual replicators. I am afraid that if O'Neill had not intervened we would not have survived."

"But you can see how he'd think it was a set-up", Sam interjected. "It did seem too convenient to be real."

"It certainly _felt_ real", Daniel shuddered. "I thought I was a goner. Thanks Teal'c."

"Anytime Daniel Jackson. May I ask what we are going to do about O'Neill?" he asked. "I fear he is angry."

"Oh yeah", Daniel said, rolling his eyes. "He's more than angry. He's really pissed!"

"Is there any way we can convince him it was real Thor?" Sam asked. She too was feeling a bit suspicious that it had been a pretend attack.

"I am contacting Othalla", the grey alien said. "I will see if they have any news." He waited for a few moments until another Asgaard face appeared on the screen on the wall. "Greetings Gunnvor", Thor said to the person who appeared. "Can you tell me if you have any news of the replicators? Were were just attacked by two ships."

"Are they still there?" Gunnvor asked. He sounded rather – stunned.

"No, they have disappeared. I wondered if there were any other sightings of replicator ships."

"No – in fact, we have lost tracking on all replicator ships. We cannot find any of them. A state of emergency has been declared on Othalla. Many believe that the replicators have developed a new cloaking device and they're headed towards Othalla to destroy us."

"Did you say you have lost 'all track'?" Thor asked, sounding quite surprised.

"Yes. We have no readings on any replicators, anywhere. We do not know what has happened. As you can imagine, the High Council is in an emergency session trying to figure out what to do. I am sending through the report now."

Thor took a look at the incoming report and then gestured for Carter to take a look. What she saw shocked her.

"Thor", What if Jack _did_ get rid of them all?"

"I believe he did Major Carter. I do not believe it will be wise to inform the Council at this moment however. I wish to protect O'Neill so it is best if this does not get out."

"You're right Thor. Thank you."

"Sam", Daniel walked up to her. "I think you should go talk to Jack. He'll listen to you and he needs to know that this" he pointed to the holes in the bulkhead, "was real."

She nodded, although she was dreading the upcoming confrontation. She wasn't a coward, but an angry Jack O'Neill was a force to be reckoned with.

"I am happy to speak to him if you would rather not Major Carter", Teal'c offered.

"Thanks Teal'c, but I can do it. If you don't hear from me in – oh – twenty minutes or so, send help!"

She tapped lightly on the door to Jack's room. After a few seconds the door whooshed open.

"Carter", he said, as he turned and walked back to the cot. He lay down again and continued to stare at the ceiling.

"Uh Sir?"

"What is it Carter?" he sighed. "Come to tell me that I was wrong? That those things really were replicators?" He sounded cynical, as if there was no way in hell he'd believe her.

"Actually Sir, they _were_ real. It wasn't a fake attack at all. Thor was just as surprised as the rest of us."

"Mmmm hmmm Carter, if that's what he told you."

"He did Colonel. And Sir, we had nothing to do with this whole thing. We didn't know what Thor had planned – I mean about the whole powers thing. We believed this was about the replicators."

"I know Major." He sighed again and sat up. "I just – I hate being manipulated."

"I don't blame you Sir", she said. "But Thor was just trying to help. He's worried about you. Uh – he's not going to tell the rest of the Asgaard about what you did."

"What I _did?_ I didn't _do_ anything Major."

"Well Sir, actually you did. The Asgaard High Council is reporting that there is no evidence of any replicators."

"Of course not. It was fake – Thor just made the attack up to trick me."

"No Sir, you don't understand. There is no evidence of any replicators _anywhere_. They're all gone – all of them."

He frowned at her, not getting what she was saying. "What? Maybe they're hiding or something."

"No Colonel. One minute they were tracking the replicators – all over this end of the galaxy. The next moment they were all gone. I saw the report from the High Council."

"It's probably – I don't know – some kind of coincidence or something."

"I don't think so. I looked at the time they disappeared. It was exactly the moment you stopped firing and closed your eyes. What were you doing then Sir, if I may ask?"

He stared at her in shock. NO – there was no way. He didn't do this – he couldn't have.

"Sir?" she asked again, gently. "What were you thinking?"

"I was – I was thinking I was a big fly swatter Carter. I thought about getting rid of all those damn bugs."

"_All_ of them Sir?"

"Yes, all of them. Hell, I didn't think it was going to work so I figured I might as well imagine clearing the universe of the lot of them. God", he sat down suddenly, his knees giving out from under him. "Are you telling me- ? Carter – this – I don't want this."

"I know Colonel." She came over and sat down beside him. "It'll be okay Sir, really. Thor has offered to help. He says he can teach you to control the power so you only use it when you want to."

"Carter – I've seen too many men get power and very few of them are able to control it or use it only for good. Haven't you heard the old expression about power corrupting?"

"Yes, I have. But I think that's one of the things Thor can teach you. The Ancients weren't corrupt – at least most of them weren't, from what the Commander has said. And I know you Sir. You're one of the most honorable men I know. You're going to be fine." She reached out and touched his shoulder, knowing that he needed some human contact. She could tell he was frightened – and that was just not something anyone saw very often from this man.

He leaned into her hand and then suddenly turned and put his arms around her. She was reminded of the time after he'd killed Hathor and had clutched her like this. This time too he was in desperate need of comfort and reassurance. "Don't worry Jack. We're all here for you and we'll help. You're gonna be just fine."

"What if I hurt someone?" he asked faintly.

She winced, knowing that this was his greatest fear. It came, not only because of what he did for a living, but because of what had happened to his son. He knew, more than anyone, how easy it was to unintentionally cause hurt and injury.

"Thor will help you – you just have to let him."

"Stay?" he asked softly, burying his head in her shoulder.

She wasn't sure if she'd heard him right – or if she had, what he meant. Did he mean for her to stay with him now – or when he went with Thor? And why her?

"I - don't know what to do Sam", he said. "I – don't think I can do this alone."

She realized then that he really was frightened. This wasn't something he'd ever wanted and he hated it. "Of course I'll stay, as long as you need me Sir", she replied.

He laughed quietly and pulled back, dropping his arms from around her. "Sir! It's always that, isn't it?"

She knew instantly what he meant. "It – can't be anything else – at least -"

"Not for now?"

"Yeah, not for now. But I can be your friend Si – Jack. I'll always be that."

"I know Carter", he grinned slightly. "And I couldn't have a better one." He took a deep breath and stood up. Holding his hand out he pulled her up beside him. "I guess we'd better go tell Thor that I'm ready for that first lesson."

"You'll be fine Jack", she smiled at him. "You have me – and Daniel and Teal'c. We'll watch out for you."

He nodded. "I know", he said again. He then walked to the door and held out his arm. "After you Major."

It was only after she'd gone through the door and had started down the hall that she thought she heard him say "not for now Sam – but – maybe soon." At least, that's what she hoped she heard.


	30. Training Camp

He stared out into the ink-black void of space. Things were quiet now, his teammates were asleep and Thor was doing whatever little Asgaard did. He'd needed some time alone to think about all that had happened. He had finally admitted, to himself and to the others, that something _had_ changed within him. He didn't know what powers, if any, he had, but he did know he had to find out. If he did, in fact, have some kind of abilities, he needed to learn to control them. He was terrified he would do something to hurt someone. His greatest fear was that someone would be a person he cared about.

Cared about. What an insipid way of saying what they meant to him. Of course he _cared_ about his friends, but his feelings for them went way beyond caring. They were his family, his – hell, there wasn't even a word for what they were to him. Daniel and Teal'c were like brothers, General Hammond, well, not exactly a father – he was too young – but maybe like a benevolent uncle – but one with a streak of toughness and courage a mile wide.

And then, of course, there was Sam. She was his friend. He smiled slightly when he thought back to her words. Yes, she was that and that meant the world to him. She was his friend but damn, he wished she could be more.

He sighed and leaned forward so that his forehead was touching the clear window out into space. He loved her but knew that wasn't enough. She deserved so much more than him. And even if – on the off chance that the planets aligned and Thor and George pulled a miracle out of their collective pockets – they were able to get together, there was no guarantee they would make a go of it. He knew that day to day living was much different than the bonds formed in battle. What he and Sam had – there was no telling whether it could outlive toothpaste squeezed incorrectly, toilet paper hung wrong, dirty socks left out, different likes in movies, music, books, passing gas in bed, PMS, or simply growing apart. No, the chances of them actually working out were – slim to none.

Maybe it was time to move away from her – to retire and let go of his dependence on his team. They had kept him going when things still seemed so dark but now – now he could move on and live his life. Oh, it may not be what he had dreamed of so many years ago when he and Sara had first married and when Charlie had come along, but it was okay. He'd done some amazing things, he'd saved a few planets, including his own, and had special friends he knew he'd never lose.

No – now was the time. He'd learn to control whatever the hell powers he had and then he'd resign. He wouldn't go off to his cabin – not yet. He wasn't ready for that. But maybe there was something else he could do? Something worthwhile? He was still young enough and he would have a great pension. He could start a whole new life, and let Sam go.

He pulled back and smiled slightly. Yes, it was for the best. His teammates wouldn't be happy, but he'd work hard to convince them that this is what he really wanted. He was tired, that much was true, and he needed something different in his life. Unfortunately, he knew the change – the break – was going to be hard.

* * *

><p>"We are arriving momentarily O'Neill", Thor was again fiddling with the controls. "I will beam you down with your team and they will meet you there."<p>

"Uh Thor?" Jack said. "_Who's_ going to meet us?"

The little alien looked up in surprise. "Did I not tell you?"

"No, not that I can remember. I thought you were taking me to Othalla and some of you guys were going to uh – train me." He glanced over at his team but they looked as confused as he did. Good – at least it wasn't just him.

"No. I am sorry. I thought I had informed you. I deemed it unwise to tell the Asgaard about your abilities. The fewer who know the better."

"You can say that again. Then who is meeting us – and why is it okay for them to know about me."

"We have arrived at the Nox world. They have agreed to help you."

"The Nox?" Jack raised his eyebrows. "Cool." He liked the Nox, and certainly trusted them to keep his secret. He did have a bit of an issue with their complete and total pacifism. Not that he didn't respect those who believed peace was preferable – he just felt that sometimes you _had_ to stand up to evil. Oh well, he figured they weren't going to come across any of their enemies this time. At least he certainly hoped not. "So, which one is it?"

"Antaeus will meet us, although I believe there is another who will be your teacher. He did not tell me and I did not ask." Thor turned to him and blinked. "Are you ready?"

"Uh yeah – but how long will we be there? Will you come and pick us up or are you staying?"

"I shall return when it is time. The Nox know how to reach me when the time is right. As to how long? I do not know. It depends on how long it takes you to learn all you need."

"Damn!" Jack said. "I hope it's not like algebra. I had a helluva time with it."

"Jack", Daniel was looking concerned. "Won't General Hammond get worried if we're gone for a long time?"

Jack turned back to Thor. "Yeah, what about that Thor? The General will be expecting us back pretty soon."

"Do not worry O'Neill", Thor told him. "Very little time will pass before you return. General Hammond will not be concerned."

"But –" The next thing they all knew they were standing on the surface of the planet. "I hate when he does that", Jack complained. "Anytime he doesn't want to answer something he just beams us away."

"It would be a handy skill to have Sir", Sam grinned.

He smiled back. "Yeah, especially if we could send people to weird places. There are a few marines I'd like to beam away. So", he looked around, "I don't see Antaeus or any of the Nox. I hope they didn't get their dates mixed up."

"O'Neill" Teal'c said.

"Yeah Teal'c –"

"I believe they have arrived."

"O'Neill", Antaeus approached him quietly from behind and smiled. "Welcome. Major Carter, Teal'c, Dr. Jackson, you are all welcome as well. I would like to introduce you to Galen. He will be your teacher."

* * *

><p>"There is no way in <em>hell<em> I can do that, so don't bother asking!" Jack practically yelled at the very irritating Nox, who didn't even blink an eye.

"Yes you can Jack", Galen answered. "You simply have to try."

"Try? Try? What the hell do you think I've been doing for the last – hell, how long have I been here?"

"For three of your earth weeks."

"Okay –three bloody weeks and I haven't been able to do anything so don't you think it's about time you gave up. It's obvious I don't have any of these 'powers' that everyone keeps talking about. All those incidents – they were either the box or a coincidence – or fake" he glowered, suddenly suspicious again about the replicators. "I do _not have powers_!"

Galen blinked at him and Jack almost laughed. Maybe the Nox and Asgaard were related in some past life. He did know they were both evil, sadistic, maddening aliens and he was about ready to strangle one of them.

"Thor and your friends believe you do", Galen answered calmly. "It may simply be that you have not discovered how to access them as of yet."

"And I'd much rather keep it that way. Why don't we tell everyone we gave it the 'good old college try' and leave it at that? I'll take my team home and let you guys get back to – whatever it is you do."

He realized that Galen was no longer looking at him but instead wore a frown. He was looking up, as if expecting to see something. Suddenly he turned to Jack. "We must go", he said. He began to walk quickly in the direction of the huts where the rest of SG1 were staying.

As Jack hurried behind Galen he tried to ask the Nox what was going on, but only got a shake of the head in reply. The other man stopped abruptly and held up his hand.

Jack stopped and waited, still unsure what was happening. Just then he heard voices and they weren't those of his friends or any Nox that he recognized. In fact, if he wasn't mistaken – "Goa'uld?" he mouthed to Galen.

The wild-haired alien nodded and slowly moved forward to look through the trees. Jack followed, worried, although he figured that Antaeus would have it covered – at least he hoped so.

"Antaeus returned to the city", Galen said softly, as if he'd read Jack's mind. "I am afraid your friends are alone."

Crap! And he didn't even have a weapon, since the Nox insisted it was not only unnecessary, but unacceptable during the training. Jack stopped then and looked through the branches of the tree. Yes – there he was – the over-dressed, pompous, arrogant son of a snake – and he was surrounded by his Jaffa.

Jack could see Teal'c lying prone a few feet away. God, he hoped his friend was just unconscious, and not -! Sam and Daniel were kneeling on the ground, their hands behind their heads. Jack could hear the Goa'uld speaking, but was too far away to understand what he was saying.

"Probably telling them how great he is", he muttered to himself. "Galen – can we –" He stopped suddenly. Oh God – the Goa'uld was raising his staff weapon and pointing it at Sam.

"NO!" he yelled, grabbing a branch and running out of the bushes. There was no way in hell this snake was going to kill the people he loved. "You scum sucking snake – go to Netu – and take your damned Jaffa with you" he screamed, waving the branch and looking like a wild man.

He stopped so suddenly he almost fell over.

"Uh – that was quite impressive Jack", Daniel said as he stood up, brushing off his pants. He reached over and helped Sam up. "You certainly scared them away with that – exhibition." Even though his words were casual he was looking pretty white and shocked. He immediately went over to Teal'c and felt for a pulse. "He's fine. Just unconscious." He then looked around and shook his head, as if unable to comprehend what had just happened.

At that moment everyone suddenly looked at Jack. He was still standing, arm raised above his head holding the branch. He tried to speak, but nothing would come out.

Galen walked calmly out of the forest. "You do indeed have powers O'Neill", he said. "But it appears as if you are only able to access them when there is danger. I believe you can drop the branch now. The threat appears to be gone."

Jack slowly lowered his arm and let the branch fall. It was quickly followed by him as his legs gave out from underneath him and he sagged to his knees.

"Sir? Are you okay?" Sam rushed over from where she was standing by Teal'c, and knelt beside him. "Colonel? Are you hurt?"

He slowly turned his eyes on her. "No", he said softly. "I – that was me, wasn't it?"

"I think so, unless the Nox somehow made this happen?" She glanced up at Galen.

"No, the Goa'uld were real, however we may have let them land. I had hoped that something like this would happen to force you to realize your powers."

"Why you!" Jack surged to his feet. "You endangered my team just to _prove a point_!" He looked like he was ready to strangle the Nox so Daniel stepped in between them.

"Jack – take it easy. I'm sure he didn't mean any harm and nothing happened to us. Well, Teal'c has a slight bump on his head, but I'm sure Junior will take care of it."

"We would not have let anything happen to your friends Jack", Galen told him. "You can be sure of that. The good news is we know you do have powers and now I know how to access them."

"How? By putting everyone I know in danger?" Jack was still furious – although he knew it was partly in reaction to the fear he had felt. It reminded him of that moment when the building had almost fallen on his friends. God, this had to stop this or he was going to die of a heart attack long before he could ever figure out these damned powers.

"No – there is no need to put anyone in danger. But this has allowed me to understand in what part of your brain the abilities lay and I can now help you access them."

"And if I don't want to access them? It seems to me they are just fine where they are. I mean – I can use them when I really need them, otherwise they can stay dormant."

"That would be fine were they to stay that way, however, in our experience they will start to show themselves in other instances which could be less than favorable."

"Great! And there isn't any way to remove them? I mean, maybe you could take them out kind of like you remove tonsils. I could have a 'powerechtomy!"

"I am sorry – they are a part of you and cannot be removed."

"Damn!"

"Sir", Sam laughed. "I think you'd better just give up and let him help you. You'll get it over with much sooner and then we can all go home."

Jack realized that his friends had had to sit and wait for him for all the weeks he'd been in 'training'. He appreciated their patience but knew they must be getting anxious to get home. "Okay", he sighed. "let's get to it then. But so help me – if you have me do any stupid pet tricks I'll shoot you!"

Galen looked confused, but then his expression evened out. He'd begun to get used to the peculiar humor of this human. Antaeus had warned him, but he hadn't really believed his friend. He sighed to himself. He was going to need a vacation after this.

Jack began to experience things almost immediately and it freaked him out. Galen had simply held his hand over his head and the next thing he knew he felt a surge of – something – run through him. It wasn't unpleasant, just disconcerting. The next thing he knew Galen had asked him to lift a branch, without touching it – and he had.

"Crap!" he said, and the branch fell to the forest floor. "What was that?"

"That was you my friend", Galen smiled. "Now we are getting somewhere."

"I just want to get – home!"

"We are just beginning. There is much more to learn. First you have to understand what you can do and they you must learn to control it. It will take time."

He sat with his friends around the camp fire that evening and knew what he had to do. It wasn't fair to them to keep them here. He was pretty sure it was going to take time – longer than he'd first thought.

"Uh guys", he started.

"What is it O'Neill?" Teal'c asked gently. They could all tell something was bothering their commander.

"I want – I want you to go home", he told them.

"What! Jack no! There's no way we're going to leave you here. You need us." Daniel looked angry.

Jack saw that Teal'c was looking stubborn and Sam – well, he refused to look at her. "Look guys, this is – going to take a while. As much as I appreciate what you're doing, and I'll miss you, I can't ask you to just hang around here for who knows how long. I'll be fine with Galen and Antaeus. I need to simply focus on the training and then I can come home."

"Did he say how long Sir?" Sam asked, grateful that her voice didn't give away her feelings.

"It could be months Carter", he told her. "You guys will go crazy with boredom. Look, as I said, I'll be fine. You go home and when I'm ready I'll send a message and you can come back with Thor to get me."

They argued for a long time but all of them knew that what Jack said was logical. There really _wasn't_ anything for them to do and he'd be safe. Finally, under protest, they all agreed.

* * *

><p>That night, as Jack lay on his little cot, listening to Daniel's soft snores, he thought about his friends and how much he was going to miss them. "Might as well get used to it", he said softly. Once he was back on earth he was going to retire and start his new life. He prayed they'd always remain the close friends they were, but he knew they wouldn't be such a close part of his life anymore – at least, not in the same way.<p>

He suddenly felt incredibly lonely. He laughed softly. "Might as well get used to it Jack."


	31. Not the End of the Story

To my readers:

Some of you were wondering if Chapter 30 was the end of 'The Rescue' and I wanted to assure you it is not. I had posted a final chapter, but got such horrible reaction from everyone I deleted it. I'm sorry for the confusion but it was late last night and I didn't have time to get back to people. Also, a number of comments were from 'guests' and I couldn't reply.

I wanted to thank those of you who gave me 'constructive criticism'. No writer – least of all me – is perfect and I obviously got it totally wrong. I have had a number of serious personal crises to deal with and that 'darkness' obviously made it into my story – and I am sorry. I will try to return to this story and end it off in a way more acceptable to my readers, although I cannot promise it will be soon. I think I need to take a break for a while from my writing.

I also wanted to say to those of you who left harsh and unkind comments – I understand that people take stories very personally and it can be disappointing when they go in directions you disagree with. As I have often said, I gladly accept criticism that makes me a better writer. Rude and harsh comments do nothing but hurt and are unnecessary. I have always tried to be respectful of my readers and take my responsibilities to them seriously. I make every attempt to update as regularly as possible and bring a little fun to people's lives. When I read some of your comments I was truly hurt and honestly felt like I didn't even want to continue to do this when I have so many other things going on in my life. I did delete some of those reviews – not the ones with honest criticism – but the ones I felt were simply mean. I do not believe they have a place on fan fiction which should be a place of fun for all.

I'm sorry to have to write this but wanted people to know what had happened – I know many were confused. I have so many wonderful readers – who constantly send me encouraging and supportive notes – and I wanted to assure you that it is you I am thinking of and will let the others fade away where they belong. Thank you all for your continued support. I will return to writing when things settle down.


	32. Chapter 32

_**Okay – I am absolutely blown away by the kind and wonderful comments I received from so many of you. You will never know how encouraging, heartening and inspiring you all were. I wasn't able to get back to those of you who don't have an account, so let me thank you now. The comments from all of you made me realize how many wonderful people there are out there. Thank you and bless you all!**_

_**On a personal note – things have worked out well just since yesterday. My mother had cancer and it had come back – but they caught it and everything looks great and her tests were really positive. I too was dealing with a potential, very serious medical condition – which also turned out okay. So – suddenly things are looking better. I know that I wouldn't have reacted so strongly had I been feeling my usual self. Still – I'm glad because of the wonderful people I came in contact with as a result!**_

_**I also had a bit of an 'aha' moment. Rather than having gotten upset at the negative comments, I realized I should have taken them as a huge compliment. It meant that people were invested in the story. If they didn't care, they wouldn't have reacted. So – all is much, much better.**_

_**Finally, the inspiration I received from all of you made me suddenly want to write again (geesh – not exactly a long break on my part – I'm quite pathetic). I decided – after numerous comments from readers – that I did have to continue the story the way I saw and felt it. I did make some essential changes however – so those of you who did read the chapter before I deleted it will need to reread this. It still isn't my usual ending, but is definitely not as dark and gloomy as the last one. This is the end of The Rescue – but I will absolutely do a sequel (to tie up a few loose ends) – but I'm going to finish my other stories first.**_

_**Thank you all again. You're awesome!**_

"Thanks Thor", Daniel said, the moment they were all beamed up to the Asgaard ship. "It didn't take you very long to get here."

Thor simply looked at him until Daniel began to feel rather uncomfortable.

"Yes Thor, thank you." Carter smiled at the alien.

"You are welcome Major Carter, Dr. Jackson, Teal'c."

The Jaffa bowed his head, but didn't speak.

"So – everything okay out here in space? Have you heard anything from earth?" Daniel felt like they'd been away for a long time although it had, in fact, only been just over three weeks.

"Everything is fine Dr. Jackson."

"Good. I see. Well?" He bounced up and down on his toes a few times but Thor continued to do nothing but look at him. "So – are we – are you planning on going to earth soon. I mean, no rush, but we probably should get back."

"I will take you back shortly Dr. Jackson", the little alien said. "It will only be a few more moments."

"A few more moments for what Thor?" Sam asked, a puzzled frown on her forehead.

"For –" Thor fiddled with his controls and suddenly, standing in the middle of the floor, was O'Neill. "This. There, now we may go."

"Jack?" Daniel stared, bemused at the sight of his friends.

"Hey you guys?" Jack grinned widely. "It's great to see you. How's everything? I'm glad you all came to get me – I missed you", his grin turned to a frown, "I mean, the Nox are nice and all, but not nearly as much fun. You just can't tease a Nox!" He looked at his friends, who were all staring at him. He looked down at himself, a worried frown appearing on his brow. "What? What is it? Is my fly open or something?" He looked from one to the other but still no one spoke.

"Carter?" he turned to his Major. "Can you please tell me what's wrong?"

"Why are you here Sir", she finally asked.

"What? Uh – So I can go home? Why, don't you want me to be here?" He swung his eyes to Thor. "Is something wrong? Has something happened?"

"Nothing has happened O'Neill", Teal'c finally spoke. "We are simply surprised to see you."

"Surprised? But why? Isn't that why you came with Thor, to pick me up?"

"Colonel, I thought you were going to stay and have Galen help you control your – abilities."

"Yeah, and I did. So what's the problem?"

"Sir – we just left the Nox world about ten minutes ago."

"You were down there? I didn't see you."

"Yes you did Jack. We just said goodbye a few minutes ago and then Thor beamed us up." Daniel was looking more and more confused, as were the others.

"No you didn't. Goodbye? Why would you say goodbye. I haven't seen you guys for months."

"Months? What the heck is going on?" This time Daniel asked the question of Thor. "Jack, as far as we are concerned, we were with you on the Nox world for the past three weeks. A few minutes ago Thor beamed us up to his ship to take us back to earth while you stayed to train with Galen. Does none of this sound familiar?"

"Thor!" Jack faced the Asgaard, who was looking oh, so innocent. "What is this?" He spoke again to his teammates. "As far as _I'm_ concerned, you left over three months ago to return to earth. I have been _training_" he said that with a grimace, "for weeks. Galen finally said I was finished and contacted Thor to pick me up and take me home. As I said, I haven't seen you guys for 3 months!"

"A time dilation field?" Carter asked Thor.

"Not quite Major Carter, but something similar. It is very difficult to explain and is something the Nox are able to make happen. We all felt it was preferable if O'Neill did not appear to be away from earth for an extended period. When he returns it will seem as if all of you have been gone for only two or three days."

"Wow!" Jack looked impressed. "So – you guys think you just saw me? Well _that's_ weird. I, on the other hand, have had almost four months of _vegetables_. I have a terrible craving for pizza and beer, so step on the gas Thor and let's get this baby moving."

It was a testament to how much time the Asgaard had spent around humans that he didn't even question Jack's words. Instead he nodded and turned back to his control panel.

"Hey – why don't we go and you can tell us all about your training", Daniel suggested. "It'll be a day or so until we're home. So", he began to ask before the other man had barely taken a breath. "What kind of powers do you have?"

Sam grinned at Teal'c and began to follow the Colonel. She was glad she didn't have to go through months before seeing him again. She knew she would have missed him.

"What do you mean – you don't want to talk about it!" Daniel looked terribly indignant and Sam had to refrain from giggling, although she too was disappointed.

"I mean Daniel, that I don't want to talk about it." He took a deep breath and faced his friends. "Look folks, I appreciate all your support and I don't want to try and hide anything it's just – "

"I know Sir, it's okay." Sam knew this whole thing had been hard on the Colonel and they needed to give him some space to deal with everything. "We're all here for you if you need us. Look, why don't we play some poker or something – anything to relax."

"Fine", Daniel sounded disgusted. "Just don't use any of your _secret_ powers to cheat Jack!"

O'Neill looked suddenly smug and then grinned. "I don't need to use _powers_ to beat you Daniel!"

"That is true Daniel Jackson." Teal'c nodded his head sagely. "O'Neill routinely defeats you at the game of poker – and chess – and charades, and 20 questions – and -."

"Okay, okay", harrumphed Daniel. "I get it!"

They spent the next few hours in a rowdy game of cards. By the time they all hit their cots Jack was feeling much more relaxed, although he knew it probably wasn't going to last.

He thought back over the last few months with Galen. He'd actually come to like and respect the Nox, who had helped him deal with the overwhelming anxiety of suddenly finding himself able to do things no human _should_ be able to do. He'd acted as guide, as teacher, and sometimes as whipping boy for Jack's anger and frustration. In the end, though, he'd done his job.

Jack had realized, halfway through the training, that power could be seductive. There were a few times he'd dreamed of getting back at old enemies – or giving himself all the things he wanted. But Galen had quickly and effectively taught him the danger of that kind of thinking. He'd taken Jack on a number of 'mind' journeys, showing him the consequences of unbridled power. In a way, he'd acted as that black box – but his methods were much more effective.

As far as what kind of powers he had – well, he'd discovered a few simple ones like being able to move objects and make things appear and disappear. He could influence people, although not get them to do things that went against their basic natures. He had already known about his ability to protect those he cared about and get rid of those who were threatening them or him – but he did learn how to control that ability much better.

He'd been rather disappointed that he'd been unable to become invisible or to fly. He'd really looked forward to being able to scare the pants off of Daniel – or even check out the woman's change room (okay, so he'd felt somewhat guilty about that one) – but it turned out he couldn't. Galen had actually told him to be quiet after he'd whined about it for days.

Of course, it could be that more powers would show up over time. In fact, Galen was sure of it. At least now, however, he could control himself and them. His plan – which he made very clear – was to never use them unless he absolutely had to, and then only to protect others.

Galen had smiled and agreed and told him he was ready. "It is time to return to your world Jack", the Nox had said. "I am always here if you need help or have questions but I believe you will do fine. You must now go and discover your way – and I pray it is one of true fulfillment.

Well yeah! He hoped that too, although he had his doubts. He'd spent a lot of time thinking, when he wasn't training, about what to do when he returned. He kept coming back to the idea of retirement. He knew it was time, in more ways than one. What was going to be hard was telling his team.

They arrived back in earth's orbit and Thor beamed them back, directly to the Briefing room where General Hammond was waiting.

"Welcome back SG1. I assume your trip was successful?" The General looked expectantly from one to the other.

"Yes Sir", Jack replied. "We helped get rid of those little critters. The Asgaard are eternally grateful – and definitely owe us one for that" he frowned, "although they probably don't know it." He brightened. "But Thor does."

"Major?" Hammond turned to her, an eyebrow raised. "You were successful in helping the Asgaard with the replicators?"

"Yes Sir", she grinned. "The Colonel was right. We seemed to have gotten rid of them, at least for now. We're uh – not quite sure what we did but Thor was happy. He didn't tell the others that it was us. I think he's worried that they may want our help on other things as well and not let us alone."

"I see. Well then, I'm glad it was a successful mission – and that a major threat has been averted, at least for now. Was there anything else of interest that happened?"

"We didn't have a lot of time Sir", Jack said, not lying but giving the impression there was nothing else. The other members of his team didn't say anything about the events that had transpired. "Everything's hunky dory and I don't know about the others, but I'm ready for a nice shower and a _real_ bed – one where my feet don't hang over the edge."

"Okay people, I'd like your reports on my desk by the end of the week. In the meantime, you have 48 hours off so go, get checked out in the Infirmary and then go home."

Jack waited for a few moments after his teammates left and then turned to Hammond. "Sir, may I speak with you for a few minutes?"

"Of course Colonel, what is it?"

"Hey Jack – what took you so long? We're almost done here!" Daniel was just getting up off the examining table and Carter was rolling down her sleeve, obviously having had her blood drawn.

"I just had to talk to the General for a minute. Uh guys – I was wondering if you'd like to come over tomorrow for pizza."

He was nervous, knowing that there were going to be some very unhappy people, but he was sure this was the right thing to do. He hadn't wanted to say anything on Thor's ship, or at the base, so he'd invited them over to his place. He felt a stab of sorrow – this might just be their last time together as a team.

They laughed and joked and ate pizza and drank beer. Finally, when everyone was finished, Jack decided it was time. With a deep breath he began.

"I invited you all over tonight for a reason", he said. Instantly the mood in the room changed as his friends seemed to sense his serious mood. "First I wanted to thank all of you for keeping my secret. I know it's not fair to ask it of you, but it means a lot."

"It is no problem O'Neill. We understand it would be most difficult for you if the truth were known."

"Yeah – to say the least!" Jack grimaced. "Look, I also appreciate the fact that you haven't bugged me about the power thing. All I can really tell you is that I can do a few neat tricks – but nothing mind-blowing."

"Can't go invisible eh?" Daniel said.

"No", Jack sighed. "And that was the _one_ I was hoping for."

"Well, all I can say is I am eternally grateful that you _can't_!"

Both Teal'c and Sam smiled at that – knowing that Daniel was probably right to feel relieved. They could both just imagine the pranks the Colonel would get up to.

"Yes well, Galen says there's still a possibility -"

Daniel groaned.

"Although probably not. Anyway, mostly what I learned is how to control what little I can do. The one thing, which you've all seen, is my ability to protect people, myself included, when threatened. That's actually one I'm kind of grateful for and now I know how to deal with it and control it. The main thing is, I'm not going to _use_ my powers if I don't have to."

"Are you sure Jack?" Daniel asked. "I mean, you could do a lot of good."

"I'd thought about that but it turns out that playing around with fate – or reality – or whatever, is probably not a good thing. The Ancients tried to fix things and it didn't work. Galen spent a lot of time teaching me that – things often happen for a reason and it can be dangerous to try and act like God. Oh, if I see someone about to step in front of a bus I'll do something, but I don't think I'm going to try and solve all the world's problems – even if I could, which I can't. No – the best thing is to try and avoid using them, which I can do now."

"So, you're just going to go back to work as if nothing's changed", Sam asked, looking slightly relieved.

"Actually Major – no, I'm not."

"What?" she frowned. "But I thought you said you weren't going to use your powers."

"And I'm not. I'm also not going back to work. I handed my resignation in to Hammond. I just have to go in and finish a few reports and clean out my locker."

"Retired?" Daniel felt like the bottom had suddenly dropped out of his world. "You can't retire Jack", he said.

"Yes I can, and I have."

"No – no you can't. We need you. The world needs you. Hell – the _universe_ needs you. Tell him Teal'c. Tell him he can't retire."

"I agree with Daniel Jackson, O'Neill", the Jaffa said, sounding unusually distressed. "You are needed to continue the fight for justice and freedom."

"I'm really not Teal'c", he said gently. "I've been honored to fight at your side, but I'm far from indispensible. There are lots of others out there who can continue the fight and who will. No, it is my time to go. I'm going to miss you all – but I hope we'll remain friends."

Both Teal'c and Daniel argued loud and long. Or at least Daniel argued loudly – Teal'c was relatively calm although he too put forth many arguments.

It was very noticeable, at least to Jack, that Sam hadn't said a word. He glanced at her a few times, but her face gave nothing away. He didn't know if she was upset or surprised or whether she'd expected this all along. He wished she would say something.

"Daniel", her soft voice stopped the archaeologist dead. He only seemed to realize then that Sam hadn't added any arguments to his.

"Sam, tell him! Tell him we need him."

"I think he knows Daniel. We will always need him – as our friend. But I understand his decision and I think we need to let him go if that's what he wants."

"_Sam!_ How can you say that? Won't you miss him?"

"Of course I will Daniel", she answered, although she was looking at the Colonel. "More than he'll ever know. But it's what he wants and it wouldn't be fair of us to pressure him to stay when he wants to go."

He looked at her gratefully. "Thanks for rescuing me again Sam", he said quietly. "Look guys – of course I'll miss all of you like crazy. It's not that I _want_ to go, it's just – I have to. It's time for me to figure out – who I am now. I've spent my whole life fighting and I'm ready to stop. I want to discover this world, to find the good in it and maybe to - relax, have some fun. I don't want to get up every morning and worry that maybe one of my friends will die today – or maybe it might be me. I don't want to think about which alien wants to poke me with holes, or is the earth under attack, or which slimy politician is trying to get ahead by screwing everybody. No – I just want to get up and enjoy my day without wondering if it will be my last."

"But you can never know that Jack. You know life is unpredictable", Daniel told him.

Jack laughed softly. "Oh yeah Daniel, if there's anybody who knows that, it's me. But at least this way I'll – reduce the chances."

"Where will you go O'Neill?" Teal'c asked. "To your cabin?"

"No – well maybe for a short time – but I'm not ready to retire there quite yet. I'm not quite sure where I'll go. All I know is I want something new", he smiled, "and there's a whole world out there to discover."

"You're not going to just disappear on us, are you?" Daniel had accepted his decision, but still didn't like it.

"Of course not", he answered. "Look, we'll still be friends and we'll keep in touch. Who knows, I may stay around here and I'll have you over for team – well, for pizza nights. I want you to keep in touch with you guys. You're my friends – my best friends, and I don't ever want to lose you. This will just be something new for all of us."

"It won't be the same Jack", Daniel said softly.

"No indeed", added Teal'c. "An era has come to an end O'Neill. You shall be missed."

He saw his friends off and felt a wave of sadness run through him. God, was he making the right decision?

"They're right" Sam's voice reached him from behind. "You will be missed and it will never be the same."

He turned to face her and for the first time saw the sadness in her eyes. The lights in the living room had been turned down and all he could see was the glow of her eyes shining in the moonlight which was peeking in from outside.

"No – but different can be good", he replied gently.

"Can it?" she asked. "Or maybe I should ask – will it?"

He closed his eyes briefly, knowing this was the hardest moment of all. "Yes – I hope. I hope that what's ahead for you will be great Sam. I know this will be hard – and I'll miss all of you like crazy – but this is an opportunity for - all of us. I think each of us needs to see what our futures hold.

"You don't know?"

"No – no I don't know the future. What I do know is how amazing all of you are and that I want the best for you. Change is hard – but it's also an opportunity to grow."

"There are – other ways to do that", she said softly. "It doesn't have to be about you leaving."

"I think it does", he said gently. "Look, I'm not leaving our friendship – you know that you will always have that. I just – I need to find out who I am Sam and I think you do too. We've been a team, a foursome, for a lot of years and we've built something wonderful. But there comes a time when – when we need to move beyond that. It's not that I'll ever forget, or give up, what I feel for you guys. I just -"

"I understand", she said, when he seemed unable to continue. "But just remember that while moving forward can sometimes mean turning a new direction – it doesn't mean that you have to leave – everything behind. There are certain things that you should grab a hold of, and take with you on your new journey."

"I want to", he said. "You'll never know how much I want to. But – I don't know yet _who_ I am Sam. I have to figure that out – before I can ask anyone to come along. I just – I need some time."

She nodded, although her eyes were shining with unshed tears. "I really do understand Jack. I just – when you _do_ figure it out – who you are and where you're going – I hope you'll remember that there are those who are still waiting for you."

He smiled, although his eyes looked a bit shiny too. "I – can't ask anyone to wait Sam, it wouldn't be fair. But, I hope – I – when I have figured everything out – I will be back and if someone _was_ waiting – I - I'd like that."

"You would?" she smiled.

"Oh – definitely. It gives me something to look forward to – and makes me want to hurry up and figure things out quickly." He suddenly grew serious. "But I meant it when I said I won't ask – and certainly won't expect anyone to – wait. If things – change – I want us both to feel that we can say that and still be friends."

She nodded. "That's fair, but it won't happen."

"No?" He smiled slightly. "And you know that because - ?"

"Because I _can_ see the future and it's one I want very much."

He felt a sense of peace wash over him and he nodded, willing to believe her and trust her. He was tempted, so very tempted, to say to hell with it and take her in his arms. But he knew he wasn't ready. He _did_ need to figure things out – to get his life in order – and to give her some space and time. She needed to figure out who she was too, without the person of one Jack O'Neill at her side every day. She was strong, and capable and she had a glorious future in store, but she had to find it herself.

And if – it happened to include him – he'd thank God and the stars, and every lucky thing he could think of.

"I'd better go Sir." She'd turned back into 'Carter' and he understood and respected why that was so. They'd given each other assurance – and maybe even a promise – and it was enough for now. Although he knew it would be hard, and he'd miss her every waking moment, at least there was hope. Having lost his before, he knew how precious was that commodity.

He nodded and accompanied her as she walked to the door. At the last second she turned towards him.

"I wish you all the best Colonel – and hope you find what you're looking for - soon", she told him with a small, sad smile.

"Thank you Major", he said, the words formal but the tone warm. "And you - take care of yourself." His words were those that people often said to each other – but in this case he meant them very seriously and very literally. "I will - miss you."

"Me too", she whispered. "But hopefully not for long." With another small smile, she turned and walked to her car. She got in and drove away without looking back. He knew that it was not out of anger or rejection – but because leaving was the hardest thing she had ever done.

He stood in the hallway for the longest time, knowing that he'd just made the worst – and yet the best – decision of his life. As much as he had wanted to grab her, to hold her and never let her go, he knew it was not the right time. It would not have worked. They both needed time and space – and to discover who they were outside of SG1. But for now there was hope – that one day his desires _would _be fulfilled, that his wish on that little black box would come true. In the meantime, he had much to discover.

He finally returned to his living room and put on some soft music and leaned back in his chair. He had a whole new life ahead of him. He took a deep breath. He hoped it was going to be a good one.

The End.


End file.
